Brave New Worlds
by FireworkSandwich
Summary: With the world seed, limitless possibilities were created. Any world imaginable could be crafted and programmed. Until a shadow hacker threatens to destroy these worlds, and more. With Kirito and the others targeted inside the game and out, they are challenged to make a few more dives. Not just for Alfheim, but for the sake of every other world in exsistence.
1. 1-Reality

**AN(Author's Notes):**Wow, so I went from reading fanfiction throughout the years to finally signing up and writing one. This is an entirely new thing to me, not necessarily a bad thing. I've been meaning to finally write something and have it be published to the site, but now I've finally worked up the courage. Anyway...

I decided to start out with a SAO story because I've become somewhat hopelessly glued to this series. I was already so much of a gamer and also a nerd that SAO is pretty much right up my alley. BUT MAN DID IT SUPERSEDE MY EXPECTATIONS! Great action, great universe, mixed with a love story. Right up my alley. So now here I am, writing fanfiction about Sword Art, slowly losing my own self-esteem. Oh well, what the hell.

Sorry to have kept you waiting with pure nonsense. But here's a chapter I wrote entirely within the span of 8 hours and completely proofread myself just now. To the reviewers who want to step up and critique everything about my story, by all means, fire at will. If you even want to become a proofreader to help my spastic self out, you are more than welcome. So, enjoy!

_Disclaimer:I do not own the idea nor the series. Reki Kawahara is the sole owner of the Sword Art Online series. This is a fan made, non profit property using the ideas presented in the light novels and anime. Please support the official release._

* * *

**Brave New Worlds**

**1 - Reality  
**

**_('Infestation' server, July 2025)_**

"Kirito, to your left!"

Turning around and swinging a fire axe, you heard that correctly, **«The Black Swordsman»** of all people using a fire axe as a weapon, I knew Asuna and I were dangerously close to be overrun. These Leapers could take us at any moment.

"Asuna! Please tell me you have assault rounds left." I kept a Stalker who just de-cloaked in front of me at bay as I turned my head to see her open her inventory and check the condition of her rifle. You heard that correctly too, The **«Lightning Flash»** Asuna, a girl who I had been through hell and back with, was using an assault rifle of all weapons.

"I had four clips. We used them all on the Behemoths back at the abandoned office complex." With a grunt, I threw the stalker off, only to be replaced with a Sprinter who almost knocked me off my feet.

"How much do you have in the gun?" Asuna let the clip disengage and drop into her hands for a menu to display how many individual bullets were still loaded.

"15…" The tone of her voice seemed exasperated and her eyes widened at the gravity of the situation. She was scared just as much as I was that we were already dead. I never liked hearing Asuna this way, and I especially didn't appreciate it now.

"Get back! Hargh-"

My axe, which missed the Sprinter due to his ludicrous dodging speed, landed right in between the area between the Stalker's neck and shoulder, right on a part of its deformed collar-bone. Thankfully, blood and gore had been a developmental afterthought; otherwise Asuna and I would have been covered as we watched the Stalker slump, a deep red pixelated gash where it was hit.

"Kirito, we need a plan!"

Everything seemed to fade and time slowed around me as I focused intently on breathing, it may have been a simulation, but it was a habit. Asuna's voice was clear and entirely audible as it dashed my thoughts.

"Kirito-kun! Please!"

Then again, I've gotten completely ahead of myself in the story here. I should start with introducing myself. My name is Kirigaya Kazuto, victim and winner of the SAO incident and ALO scandal, and this is how I waged war against a master hacker.

* * *

**(_Real Life, May 20th 2025)_**

Sunlight streamed through the window, shining on an alarm clock that had just struck 7:00.

***Beep, beep, beep***

Followed by a loud knocking at the bedroom door.

"Onii-chan! All those late night sessions better not be making you lazy. Come down and have breakfast!" Loud footsteps were heard echoed down the hallway and down the stairs. Kazuto could just remain in bed and not have to worry. But the smell of breakfast became a strong temptation to face the day.

"You'll leave Asuna waiting." Kazuto immediately shot out of bed at the fair point Suguha had made. He may have been more than his fair share of careless, but he would never let it get that bad.

Ripping open his closet, everything related to his school outfit was hung on a hook to the right.

"Alright, I still have time!" Hastily, Kazuto grabbed his NerveGear and unceremoniously placed it on his head.

"Link start!"

* * *

Kirito's eyes opened to a familiar sight of a forest and nature, he had no time to admire the scenery, and there is someone more important about this visit.

"Yui-chan! Yui, papa is here." Ten seconds went by without a sign of Kirito's favorite girl (or 2nd favorite, it switches depending on a certain someone) "Yui-chan!" Still no response.

"Hmm, I wonder…" Going into his skill menu, Kazuto scrolled until he found just the skill he wanted. Tracking.

Kirito's vision changed, allowing him a new perspective while his eyes scanned the area. Tracking skill is helpful for those with Hunter play styles, players are able to see animal trails that had been left, how long ago they were left, and what direction they might be traveling. But the tracking skill served a particular second function to Kirito, tracing other hidden characters. He didn't have to look for more than a few seconds, his sight locked on a small yellow outline. The fact his description box displayed '?' instead of a regular player character blurb confirmed his suspicion.

"Found you Yui! Game is up, come on out now." His tracker vision automatically disengaged as he stalked closer to the brush in which he saw the outline crouching. The foliage hadn't moved since he looked, he reached out with his left arm to gently push aside the brush. What he didn't expect was a cleverly laid pounce attack by a small girl in a white dress.

"PAPA!"

Kirito stumbled backward from the force of Yui's death grip, but with a little fancy footwork he stayed on his toes and turned the pounce into a spinning hug.

"Yui-chan! Papa's little girl is good at hiding, but Papa's vision is just a bit better." Kirito stopped spinning for a second to adjust Yui in his arms to be able to stare at her, eyes twinkling full of fun and wonder.

"Papa is good, but I thought I hid well! I even made sure you couldn't track me Papa!"

"Yui-chan is using her AI privilege?" Kirito allowed himself a little shock at the fact his little girl started to play with the fact she isn't exactly a defined variable within ALO's programming.

"You and Mama always find me when it comes to hide and seek! You never said I couldn't try a few things with the game."

Kirito simply closed his eyes and sighed allowing himself the time to take this information in. "Mama is going to have a lot to say about this when we log on tonight…"

"Oh, that! Papa and Mama are still visiting me tonight, right?" Yui's face lit up even more at the thought of being with her little family.

"Yep! Same time we told you. I promise we'll have a lot of fun, and go on plenty of adventures together." Kirito gave her a few pats on the head as he said this, and was greeted with a happy Yui.

"Yay!" Yui had been so filled with joy that she had done a backflip while simultaneously morphing into her guide pixie form.

"Remember, you'll have to wait until tonight, I have to hop off and go to school for a bit." Kirito was about to ready the menu to quickly log out and go about his morning.

"Okay! I'll be here playing in the 7th floor. Please come early, I want to see Mama again!" Yui beamed yet another smile that would have melted Kirito's heart had it not already been three times already.

"Have fun and stay out of trouble Yui-chan." Kirito carefully reached out a finger to lightly pet Yui on the head before activating his menu and pressing the 'Logout' button. As he was going through the process of logging out, he waved one last time at Yui, and she waved back.

* * *

Kazuto lifted his NerveGear off his head and turned to take a glimpse at his alarm clock.

"7:17? I still have time!"

In a feat surpassing regular human agility, Kazuto dressed in his school uniform in 1 minute and rushed down the stairs where he found Suguha half-done her plate and Midori done her coffee.

"Morning Aunt Midori, Sugu-chan." He had barely exchanged pleasantries before digging into his breakfast and forcing almost all of it down.

"Well, someone sure seems eager this morning." Midori said half in surprise and the other half as if she was used to whatever antics Kazuto and Suguha made in the morning.

"Eh? Onii-chan! Slow down, if you choke it's going to be your fault, not mine!" Suguha just seemed worried at how voraciously he tore into the egg and sausage meal. Immediately after finishing his breakfast, he slammed his fork down onto his plate before letting out a content sigh.

"Wonderful breakfast Sugu-chan, have a great day you two." He sat up and sprinted around the kitchen table, managing to grab his pack off the couch before slipping on his shoes and charging out into the new day.

"I worry about him sometimes." Suguha just stood there trying to comprehend anything that had just happened.

"Reminds me of his father when he was his age." Midori casually flipped through another page of the newspaper as Suguha glanced over, still confused.

* * *

Kazuto rushed through the streets, he had left his bike behind long ago, and he found, in his opinion, something better to get him to school. Another left, another right, just a few more turns and he'd know what awaited him. Exiting the house at about the same time he started to slow into a jog and then a walk, he saw a person with bright chestnut hair and eyes in front of her house.

"Asuna! Over here!" Kazuto lightly jogged to the front lawn gate as Asuna met up with him.

"Kirito-kun! You're early. Why do you look so tired?" Asuna eyed him completely in his slightly exhausted and disheveled state.

"Well…I thought I was going to be late to walk to school with you, so I rushed through my breakfast and ran all the way here." Kazuto took in a few more breaths after rushing his explanation as well.

"You…DUMMY! Take your time in the morning, I'm not going anywhere." Asuna's voice was a mix of scolding anger and amusement at the fact Kazuto was so quick to meet her in the morning.

"You're starting to sound like Suguha, nagging me about how I eat breakfast."

"Okay, that was the last straw, come on Kirito-kun!" Asuna grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, lightly dragging him toward school. Kazuto got the idea and unhooked himself, choosing to walk beside her instead.

"After school, once you finish any assignments from today, we're going to visit Yui-chan still, right?" Kazuto turned his head to wait for Asuna's response.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I want to see my baby again? Even if we visited her a few days back, I don't want her growing lonely. After all, we still haven't cleared all of new Aincrad yet!"

"I should have expected that, then again, along with Sugu and our friends, we've plowed through the floors in such a short time!" Kazuto started to rub the back of his neck out of instinct.

"Well, they didn't call me the lightning flash and you the black swordsman for nothing. There was meaning behind those names." Asuna announced in a burst of pride.

"Geez, if I couldn't say any better, Klein's cockiness is starting to rub off on you."

"So says the boy who won't be receiving any of my handiwork at lunch today!" Asuna retorted with the greatest trump card, she took away his sandwich rights.

"Ah! Apologies, my bad, there's nothing wrong with a bit of pride, just don't do anything drastic Asuna."

"Hmph, well I guess since you apologized…" Asuna allowed him another chance much to Kazuto's pleasure. If she could get him this desperate by withholding sandwiches, she shuddered to think what would happen if someone held one of these ransom.

"Ah, Asuna, we're already here!" Asuna snapped out of her thoughts to find that they ended up in front of their school.

"Well, that was a quick walk." The school they attended was a normal school before being reformed into a primary school reserved for victims of the SAO incident. Both Kirito and Asuna fell into this category, unfortunately for Asuna; her enrollment had been delayed due to complications in ALO. When they finally reunited and she was given the news, she was excited to finally be attending the same school as Kazuto. Kazuto faintly remembers the physical therapy he had helped Asuna through. Though it was problematic and full of pain, Asuna had been deemed fit enough to attend just in time for classes to begin. One of the proudest moments of their new life together, he would have to say.

That is until the warning bell rang and caught both of them off guard.

"Kirito, we have to stop daydreaming and get to class!"

"R-right!"

Both of them took off in a hurry to their respective classes and barely made it to their seats before the next bell sounded.

* * *

As usual, they sat down at their usual lunch spot, benches underneath shade somewhere in the courtyard.

"As promised, our lunch for the day!" Asuna pulled the deep purple handkerchief off the basket which held two sandwiches. The extra spicy order reserved purely for Kazuto and his insane taste buds.

"Let's eat these before they get too cold." Asuna already began hers, then again her eating pace was nothing compared to how Kazuto gets around her cooking.

Kazuto got halfway in just over a minute before pulling away. Asuna had eaten just a fifth of her sandwich before Kazuto leaned back and announced, "Eating the best sandwiches in the world, with the best girl I could ever hope to have. Life doesn't get any better."

Asuna gave off a healthy blush before responding with, "Aww, that's too much Kirito-kun."

Kazuto turned to her and quickly told her, "No, it's not. I completely mean it." He then gave her a small peck on the cheek. She raised him with a small, fast kiss on the mouth.

It was then they heard a close-by frustrated scream.

"Asuna, you heard that right? What was that?"

"I don't know Kirito-kun, sounded strange."

* * *

Keiko could only watch her friend lightly head-butt the glass in frustration, worried for her health.

"It's ok, Rika-san. But maybe you are just a little too obsessed with this truce idea?" Rika, otherwise known as Lisbeth, stopped in mid head-butt to ponder for a second before pulling back and finishing the motion one last time, before groaning slightly in pain. Thirty days of no interference couldn't pass fast enough. Keiko went back to her lunch and simply left Rika to her sulking. Keiko found herself repeating the fact almost every day that the truce had been _her_ idea. Rika let her palms slide across the window and fall at her side with her forehead against the glass. Keiko almost ate her lunch entirely in peace when she heard Rika groan watching the two lovebirds in their natural habitat.

"Rika-san, are you okay?" Rika's forehead squeaked across the window twice side to side before she stopped and croaked out.

"Not really." Rika lifted her head off the window, choosing to sit down across from her friend. The lunch she had bought she barely touched. Save a few crumpled juice boxes right next to the food. Maybe she would sit up and get some tea, or another juice box. The juice boxes made great stress relievers. Thirty days. Why would she ever agree to that idea? She started to mentally kick herself before she had another thought.

"Hey, Keiko-chan." Her friend perked up immediately at her name and dropped the food she picked at.

"Yes?"

"Remind me to charge one of those two the next time they come to my smith shop." This confused Keiko and caused her to correct her friend

"You never charge them anything when they come to see you."

"I know." Rika grew a devious smile which scared the girl across from her. Her small revenge would be silent and swift.

* * *

From then on, the day proved to be pretty uneventful. Both Kazuto and Asuna had only 4 classes together. One of them was thankfully before lunch break was given, the only disadvantages being that Kazuto is always seated two rows behind Asuna. This made the lessons half as interesting and twice as long.

_'It's like they knew I wouldn't get anything academic done if I was seated next to her.'_

Their teacher droned on about another noteworthy event of history, something about what the state of foreign relations a hundred years ago. His ears blocked out whatever useless thing their teacher rambled on about. Instead his eyes glazed over as he stared straight ahead. Kazuto had more fascination with the back of Asuna's head than he ever had over foreign relations. The classroom in general faded away, replaced with sudden daydreams. Asuna and him holding hands, walking through flower filled fields. He would look over when she stares back with the deepest, happiest eyes. Her chestnut hair slightly rustling in the wind. They would walk along, after a while he would stop her. Wrapping his arms around her, pulling her body closer. Staring deep into her eyes, they would start to lean in...and then...

"KIRIGAYA!" Watching him scramble to a standing position to answer the teacher sent the class into small fits of laughter. Kazuto finally stopped stumbling enough to stand straight.

"Yes, sir?" His teacher offered nothing but a cold glare.

"Your best interest in this class would be listening to me explain why our peace conferences were necessary. The back of Miss Yuuki's head has no information concerning peace conferences, last time I checked." Classmates went through another wave of chuckles at Kazuto's expense. An embarrassed Asuna broke into a small blush, choosing to duck behind her notebook.

* * *

Eventually, the lectures and classes let up and they were allowed to go home. Kazuto met Asuna at the entrance before walking her back to her house.

"I swear, sometimes I feel like the bosses we fought in Aincrad were easier than paying attention to a whole lesson." Kazuto had yet to sit through an entire lesson without zoning out. Handling two swords at once and fending off Gleam Eyes was less of a challenge than sitting through another math lecture.

"Well, when the teacher asks questions, maybe paying attention to the lesson might be better than two rows in front of you."

"Hey, I was paying attention to something more important. Definitely a lot more interesting than a peace meeting from the 70's. Prettier too." Asuna's face flared the same bright red from history. Kazuto's teasing always managed to get her worked up. Even if everytime she'd been determined to deny him the pleasure of seeing her completely flustered.

"Y-you..."

"Love you too, Asuna!" Kazuto sidled next to her, placing his head over her's. It worked exactly as he expected as she was forced to accept the fact he won this round. Kazuto and Asuna broke apart, walking alongside each other again. His teasing also succeeded at passing the time, before they realized, they were about twenty steps away from the Yuuki residence. Kazuto took this time to remind Asuna about what they promised to do tonight.

"Remember, Asuna, we meet up with Yui at 5. Depending on who's online, we might go off on an adventure or quest."

"Of course, you know I wouldn't miss the chance to see Yui and the rest." She gave Kazuto a wide smile to brush aside any doubts.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight. I'll be waiting!" Kazuto surprised her by stealing a kiss before sprinting off. Leaving Asuna wide-eyed and motionless in front of the entrance to her house. She was floored for a few seconds more before walking up the path to her front door, the most carefree grin plastered across her face.

* * *

Kazuto reached his house in record time, as he literally bowled the door open, kicking off his shoes, and taking the steps two at a time. Immediately heading for his own room, he threw his backpack on to his bed, excited only for tonight.

'I should calm down about this; I still have two hours or so. Maybe if I just sit down at the computer for a bit.'

Kazuto shuffled to his computer chair before settling comfortably into it. He hit the power button and watched it do the usual boot cycle. However, it booted without going directly to the desktop; in fact, it was only a blank screen.

'This can't be right.'

Preemptively cutting off any attempt Kazuto would have made to fix it, the computer brought attention to itself by flashing once and leaving a blank screen. This screen seemed blank until Kazuto noticed a small detail at the bottom. A gray arrow highlighted a gray underline at the very bottom of the screen. Kazuto recognized this as a command prompt program. With his attention fixed on the screen, there was a sudden bit of activity which made his blood turn to ice. Words appeared on the command line which Kazuto hadn't even typed.

-_Hello, friend. Or should I say…Kirigaya 'Kirito' Kazuto. The famous "Black Swordsman_"

* * *

**AN:**So that is the introductory chapter to Brave New Worlds. Don't worry, for those who are hooked, more will be coming, though I can't promise at a quick pace _EVERYTIME_. I've got a lot planned for the new challenges Kazuto and friends will face. In fact, next chapter, we'll see more of this mysterious hacker, learn more about how people have used the world seed since Kazuto uploaded it, and why exactly they have to go on this big dumb adventure in the first place. Until then...

Reviewer's, feel free to rip this apart piece by piece and tell me how bad I am. I can take it...I hope!

Next time-_Distress Call  
_


	2. 2-Distress Call

**AN:**I got a good amount of views in three days. At least, for my first story I did. For everyone who read the last chapter, but couldn't stand it, don't worry. I admit it was my fault for rushing through it without thoroughly checking it. Hopefully as I continue to write this I'll slowly get better at this thing they call 'The Fanfictions.'

Speaking of mistakes, I said in the (Next Chapter) note that this chapter would be called** The World String**, which is not true. That's actually the next chapter. Again, I rushed the last chapter and I'm new to this, so I will make crazy mistakes.

Other than that, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. I promise, this time it's a good one!

_Disclaimer:I do not own the idea nor the series. Reki Kawahara is the sole owner of the Sword Art Online series. This is a fan made, non profit property using the ideas presented in the light novels and anime. Please support the official release._

* * *

**2 – Distress Call**

This text was the first time I would ever come into contact with a new threat, one I didn't even know would become my enemy. The message sent through the program made me freeze in absolute terror. Not only had they taken control of my system with their own program, whoever was behind it knew who I was. The hacker typed another line after noticing no activity from me.

_-Well? Have at it. Don't be shy…'Black Swordsman-sama'_

Willing myself over to the keyboard, I managed to type the only two words I could come up with.

_ =How? Who?_

A new response came almost immediately.

_ -How? That's a very good question. I'll entertain you with the second question instead. WHO? I've got it. Let's play a little guessing game; I know how much you love games. Afraid this one might be too simple for your tastes._

The typing was fast, enough to keep me confused. I couldn't type a full sentence. I was still stuck asking only one word questions.

=_Game?_

_ -Oh! So, you ARE interested. I'll give you three guesses as to my identity. No hints, you are a bright boy. Surely you can wager a guess?_

Recollecting my shattered thoughts, my mind went immediately to every enemy I had faced in my life. I started at the top from the most familiar guess.

_ =Kayaba?_

-_Wow, that is rich, but no. I expected you to guess this. Kayaba is long gone from this life. His presence belongs only within virtual reality. Imprinting his consciousness across the net, the man was brilliant and dedicated to his dream, but he was just as much a fool. Man was damn lucky, nothing more._

Already my doubt was correct. Whoever this hacker was, their tone and behavior seemed to be a malicious glee mixed with twisted intelligence. Kayaba had never acted in this manner, always composed and calm. Not taking sick enjoyment in the suffering he caused, which was more than enough. This next guess became difficult to type with the anger and memories his name brought.

_ =Sugou_

The response typed across the screen at a frantic and rushed pace.

_ -DON'T compare me to that spineless thief. I'm glad you took him at the height of his ambition and corrected him. Yet, you lacked the guts to finish the bastard!_

Finish the job? When I had Sugou at my mercy, despite all he had done, I forced part of me to leave him. The man would be brought to justice soon enough. After everything that happened, no more blood needed to be shed. By my hands or anyone else's. I could forget about what they had done. It was all finally over. To think, as I reread this comment, this person would have encouraged me to take Sugou's life. It frightened me.

_ -Apologies, Kazuto-san. Whenever his name is brought up, it reminds me just how vile a person he is. You know as well as I, Alfheim was not his own. Just a crude duplicate of Kayaba's dream and progress._

The sudden change in demeanor unnerved me. One thing we both agreed upon was the fact Sugou was nothing but a thief, masquerading as a king.

_-One more guess. Choose wisely, and we may not have to play another game._

I had run out of possibilities, all but one remained, and I was skeptical to it being true.

_ =A member of Laughing Coffin_

My breath hitched, I silently hoped that the answer would be correct.

_ -Laughing Coffin? The P-K guild? Wonderful guess, wrong answer. I am involved within the thick of the SAO incident, but I can assure you I had never been a player._

I let out the held breath, this hacker isn't anyone I previously faced or knew. A completely new and anonymous individual, someone still connected with SAO.

_ -That was riveting Kazuto, Kirito or Kazuto? I'm never quite sure how to address you. After all, I know your grasp on reality is quite lacking. Two years of continuous NerveGear stimuli will have that effect._

Teasing? The bipolar nature of these messages began to irritate me. In one moment the hacker appeared respectful and punctual, the next moment the hacker would become condescending. It had begun to bother me even more that this random person became so casual with me. They know so much about me, and I don't even have a name to pin them with.

_ =Who are you exactly? I want a name._

_ -Bold. Very bold of you. I respect that. Since you asked, I'll give you my alias. You'll be seeing it for a while anyway._

My eyes scanned that last cryptic sentence, why would I be seeing it for a long time. Exactly what plans could this person have for me?

_ =What do you mean by that?_

_ -Patience! Patience Kazuto/Kirito-san. We haven't even finished our first game yet. Now, for the name. From now on, until you can uncover my true identity, you may call me Lykos._

_ =Lykos?_

_ -Excellent! Now to explain why you'll learn to tolerate seeing my name. We're going to play another little game, since you love games, how could you not?_

_ =We're going to play a second game?_

_ -Actually, I lied. All of us will be playing this game of mine._

Lykos was not giving a definite answer, dodging questions and speaking in riddles. Riddles and codes seemed to be the only language he knew and spoke fluently. I simply sat back and allowed him to explain what 'all of us' entailed.

_ -Because of this silence, I can assume I have your attention? Good. Now, when I say 'all of us', I'm referring to you, Asuna, Ryoutarou, Rika, Keiko, Andrew – Everyone._

I had to stop myself from screaming or doing anything to my computer at this new development. Lykos is not only targeting me. He's made a hit list combining everyone who helped me through the SAO incident. All of my friends, including one I had prayed he knew nothing about, Asuna…

_ -More silence, lovely. Kazuto/Kirito-san, I want to pose a question. How closely have you monitored the world seed?_

Reflecting upon that, my attitude toward Kayaba wasn't exactly favorable. When his virtual conscience contacted me directly in ALO, entrusting me with the world seed, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. My SAO wounds still open and fresh. Immediately after confronting Sugou and finally meeting Asuna, I gave the seed to the most trustworthy and responsible person I knew. Agil, Andrew Gilbert Mills. Despite the origin that surrounded the seed, he chose to upload it over the net and continued the legacy, just as Kayaba hoped I would have. I promised myself sometime before I would ever really look at the seed. Sure, Agil would give me updates of its massive success. It's hard not to bring up an uploaded file that single-handedly revived the dying VRMMO genre from the underground. Now, the world seed was something I would be forced to become familiar with.

_ =Not much_

I answered with a slight feeling of disappointment and guilt. Whatever the hacker wanted with the world seed, he already knew more than me.

_ -And that is where I come in. The world seed happens to be an instrumental part in the game we'll play. I've planted a silent update in various VRMMO worlds. This update is something only you, and inevitably your friends, will know about. You will have to face a trial of my design in each of these worlds. And before you begin having thoughts about soloing any of these, let me correct that by saying I have made each challenge statistically impossible to solo in any conceivable way. This is where your inevitable friends, there's that word again Kazuto-san, come in. Only through feats of teamwork can you accomplish anything._

Everything Lykos had told me meant nothing. He was challenging me without giving any reason for me to care.

_ =Well, what if I choose to not play your game. To turn off my computer and walk away._

_ -That is where I issue an ultimatum Kirito-san! You can either play my game and entertain me. Or, you could walk away and allow me to destroy these worlds. Along with the responsibility of millions of human lives._

Mentioning the lives of millions made me tense up and sink even further in my seat. Up until now, I had been speaking to a maniac. Now I was speaking to a mastermind.

_ -I'm going to let you in on a secret Kazuto, I hate the VRMMO industry…I hate the world seed for the worlds it spawned. I hate the networks, the servers; I especially hate the community of programmers who claim the worlds they made are their own. Nothing but liars and thieves. **That** is why I want to play this game. Something valuable and life changing was taken from me, the world seed is an extension of that._

All this new information became too much to keep straight. I started to think I had the choice to walk away, block Lykos out and play Alfheim, to visit Yui, Asuna, and my friends. Another gut feeling deep inside told me that this elaborate plan wasn't a bluff and to stay in my chair. Again, I reached over for the keyboard.

_ =Tell me about your 'game'_

_ -Kirito. Kazuto. Whatever I'm choosing to call you. I can tell you don't believe me. So I'm going to put this into perspective. I know everything about you and your clique. I, myself, had involvement in the SAO incident, making me very aware of every major event that occurred within that game. I have been chatting with you for 13 minutes now, on your desktop, with a program I created to hijack your system. I have leverage; I can use this at any point against any of you. This leverage is enough to crush every single one of you. Turn heroes of the public eye into monsters. Turn those monsters into dust. The fate of millions of lives, against six SAO survivors._

This didn't make any sense to me. Lykos would be willing to destroy the world seed file and supposedly kill millions, just to watch me and my friends become his puppets and dance for him?

_ -Oh, before I get ahead of myself, if you are still in disbelief of how much I know you. Maybe it would be best to include Suguha in the game as well. Strength in numbers._

Of all people to mention, he would threaten my sister. From then on, I knew Lykos had too much about me. I would be forced to make a deal with a cyber-terrorist.

_ =Just tell me what you want me to do. I can't stand talking to you now._

_ -Don't worry, I'll make it brief. I'll be sending instructions. Those instructions are going to detail the rules of our game together. What I hope is that your detective skills are up to par. Because you'll be searching for the truth._

_ =The truth?_

_ -Yes, truth behind my name, truth behind my motives, truth that will explain why the world seed, and all those who use it, need to be eradicated. I'd explain further, but it seems I already sent the instructions out. Might want to go visit your friend, Andrew. Hell, he might even be reading it right now!_

Andrew. Agil! He wants everyone gathered at the Dicey Café.

_-It was nice speaking to the famous Black Swordsman. Goodbye friend, best of luck to you._

I watched the text on-screen disappear. The program forcibly shut my computer down before it began its normal boot cycle. For now, I had to get over and se Agil, everyone did.

My legs cracked from inactivity, I had jumped out of my computer chair. In a second, I tore my bedroom door open and yelled for my sister.

"Suguha, we need to get to the Dicey Café. Something is happening!"

* * *

Keiko Ayano, better known as 'Beast Tamer Silica', faced many challenges and showed bravery in the face of adversity and defeat. Until now, she had been prepared against any trial or journey that presented itself, venturing through it with courage and determination. Her greatest enemy stood before her now, impeding her path and becoming the most difficult task she would ever brave. Silica had been exhausted and ready to admit defeat to the ultimate evil, math assignments.

"Uwah-! Rika-san, can't we quickly take a break and finish it later? I feel like I'm getting a headache." Keiko held her head in both hands and pleaded to Rika for a study break.

"What?!" Rika let her astonishment show how surprising it was that Keiko would still find her homework troublesome to complete. Her help and seniority aided her friend immensely, completing assignments in rapid succession and leaving them free for the rest of the night every time. Work from the school was nearly identical to other schools in the area if not slightly accelerated. The only difference being that the entire student body was comprised of former students involved in the SAO incident. Rika would call herself rusty concerning her academic prowess, but they had not met any problems until this happened.

"I just explained it to you three minutes ago! You can't be having a problem this fast."

"I did understand, but your way stopped working and now it's like the rules changed. It's completely backward!" Rika placed a hand on Keiko's shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

"Don't worry Keiko-chan, if we do this together we could be done by fi-"

Her sentence was cut short. They usually sat together on the floor of her room when they studied together. Rika usually left her cell phone placed on the desk not too far away. The cell phone was active now, set face down and vibrating against the wooden surface. Rika sprang up and turned the phone over, she had just received a text from Agil not one minute ago. Rika promised to visit Agil at the Dicey Café occasionally. Everyone had exchanged phone numbers at the congratulatory party for beating SAO, but Agil and her never really texted each other before.

Rika opened the message, it was brief and blunt.

_Rika,__ s_omething's happened. Meet at the café. Kazuto and Suguha called me. They're on their way here already.

_ -Agil_

"Rika-san, is everything alright? You seem worried." Rika almost forgot where she was until Keiko's voice grounded her thoughts.

"Keiko-chan, Agil told me something came up. We need to get to his café." She told Keiko this in the process of pocketing her cell.

"What about my math assignment?"

"We can finish it when we get back. Come on, let's not keep everyone waiting!" Both girls left everything as it was in Rika's room, and began to rush to the Dicey Café, eager to learn what had Agil worried.

* * *

Tsuboi Ryoutarou, alias 'Klein', is usually a productive worker, just not today. Instead he took to watching the computer's clock, eager to clock out and end his shift for the day.

He began to mutter under his breath, "Come on, come on, come on." Only three minutes separated him from sweet freedom. Those three minutes equaled 1,000 eons in 'Klein' time.

He started to get anxious, looking away from the clock, thinking his eye contact made time crawl slower. His restless eyes glanced at the clock once more only to discover it had moved one minute forward.

'Agh, this week has been so long. Getting readjusted to work isn't too hard, but the hours I've been pulling…'

Another quick glance at the clock.

'Can't wait to get home, have some leftovers from the fridge and just relax. No weight on my shoulders. Just me and a little relaxation.' Klein finished his thought at the same time he heard a ring, signaling the end of his day.

'Yes, finally!' Klein froze in the middle of sitting up as a thought occurred. There were never any bells to signal the end of his shift. Redirecting his attention to his pocket, he noticed his phone gave off the ringing.

'Ehh, who's calling?' Reaching in, he took one look at the screen and saw a text notification from Agil. Flipping it open without a moment's notice, he read it carefully before closing the phone. That was all the motivation he needed to grab his coat and jog his way out of the office.

* * *

Asuna had been in bliss throughout the house from the goodbye she had received. While walking up to her room, she noticed the absence of her mother and father, which wasn't uncommon, just unexpected for today. Taking a guess, she assumed it must have been business of some kind and they would return at six, or at the latest seven.

Asuna had other pressing matters to concern herself with for tonight. Immediately, she focused her efforts into working through the assigned work from the day's classes at a speed which made her seem truly deserving of the nickname Lightning Flash. Being so involved in work had made her lose track of time. Writing down the last answer, she stretched her tight back muscles and checked the nearest clock. 4:27, she had spent the last 30 minutes at her desk rushing through homework with time left to burn. She began to think how she would spend this extra time. Her protesting stomach demanded that food be first.

"Alright, quick snack first." Asuna nearly cleared the bedroom door before being beckoned back by a repeated low ping. Turning on her heels she noticed her cell phone left on the work desk was the source. Crossing the room, she snagged it and glanced at the contact name. 'Kirito-kun.' Her snack could wait.

"Kirito-kun, ho-"

"Asuna, what are you doing now?"

Asuna found this question odd. Not because of the way it was said, but the noise she could hear in the background. He was running.

"I had just finished my school work. I was heading down to the kitchen, I'm a little hungry."

"Asuna, I'm so sorry…we can't see Yui tonight."

Asuna's eyes went wide at Kazuto's statement and her mouth hung open in a silent gasp. She tried to respond but found she was stumbling over words.

"K-Kazuto, wh-what-"

"Asuna, something important is happening." She could audibly hear him pause for breath, balancing running and talking. "You need to come to the Dicey Café…now. Everyone's going. Lisbeth…Klein…Silica…Agil...even Suguha. We're running to the bar…right now!"

Asuna wasn't sure what she just heard.

"Kazuto. What is happening?" He could detect how worried Asuna was. She would never drop honorifics or his nickname unless a situation absolutely terrified her.

"Asuna…I know how you feel. We just beat Alfheim. But it isn't exactly over. Just remember, we'll face this together." Upon saying this, Asuna's expression softened before changing into the look of strong determination.

"Together." That was the only word she needed.

"Suguha and I are getting close. Hurry, be safe!" The phone gave off the hum indicating the other user had ended their call. Asuna hung up herself and headed to her closet. She already changed out of her school outfit into a casual setup of a blue sweater and orange skirt, all she needed was a light coat. Tonight was cold, even for the spring. Asuna started to rush out, barely stopping at the threshold between the hallway and her room. Turning one last time to stare at the NerveGear helmet which rested on the edge of her bed. Guilt welled up inside of her at the realization of the promise she was about to break.

"I'm sorry, Yui. I promise I'll visit soon." Setting off again, she tried to distance herself away from the accursed tech. Every other step she took away from it became a little lighter, while every step closer to the bar gave rise to this ominous feeling she couldn't shake.

* * *

Footsteps echoed off the pavement with the sound bouncing off surrounding walls. Despite the fact it was a weekday and only five in the afternoon, the market district streets had little activity. The sunset lit road seemed to extend onward for miles. This made the trip seem taxing, even if she had taken this route a total of three times already. To distract her, she started to have thoughts on whether it was advisable to be running. Not long ago, they told her not to push herself by running too soon out of therapy. Yet here she was, sprinting off down a nearly empty street trying not to think of how much her lungs burned and legs ached.

On the right, she noticed a very familiar building made of wood. Placed directly in the center of a red door was a plaque, the engraving read 'Dicey Café' with two dice above it, a snake eye and six. Her feet skidded to a halt and almost sent her tumbling to the ground. Gripping her knees and breathing in deep, she attempted to cool herself from the recent activity. Resting slightly, she straightened herself before reaching a shaking hand up to push open the door. All eyes in the room turned to stare at the girl in the conveniently colored white and red coat, panting slightly and staring back.

The bulky man behind the counter cleared his throat before raising his voice, "Asuna, don't worry, you aren't that late at all. Come in. We've got a lot to talk about."

* * *

**AN:** And we have our villain! Who we know nothing about, but he is there! Not trying to give too much away, Lykos will not be much of a 'physical' enemy. In fact, I've always wanted to write a intellect driven character. It just so happens that in my story they're the antagonist. For those who are wondering about Lykos's motives and why Kazuto would even believe anything he says, that will all be easily clarified in the next chapter.

Also, if you noticed I seem to be giving plenty of screen time to the supporting cast. Like Lykos said, the supporting cast will play a big role in this story. Fighting alongside Kazuto and Asuna more so than they do in the show. Don't worry, I can hear you asking me about this. Kazuto and Asuna will still have plenty of scenes together and especially romantic moments when I can manage them. Love me some of that good ol' teenage romance. Ah, Kirisuna shipping.

Please, if you read this far, leave a review on how I can improve this story. And make sure to follow this so you'll be able to read new chapters as they get released. Real life kind of sucks all the time from you, but I am dedicated to this story and I believe it can be good. And no one can ever take that away from me.(I hope...) Basically, **Read & Review!**

Next chapter-**The World**** String**


	3. 3-The World String

**AN:**Well, I've been toiling at this chapter all weekend in preparation. I have a good excuse for it though. This is the exact chapter where the story gets heavy. By 'heavy', I mean the fact that soon we'll actually be heading toward action and adventure. Adventure in a Adventure story? That's heresy!

With the story, however, comes headaches about time frames. The timeline for the entire series sets the World Seed as being created on the year of January in 2025. Then Kazuto taking the World Seed to Agil 2 months later in February. A few days or so after fighting with Sugou in the parking lot. But then the World Seed only just accumulated one million hits...WHAT!? Not to mention the fact that GGO was supposedly made two months after the seed was released. So with the planning of my story to align properly with my timeline, it would be assumed that 1 million hits were able to jump to somewhere over 10 million users in an EXTREMELY short period. (May 16th - May 20th) That and the fact beta's for the games were put up three months after the seed's posting. And relying on the fact Agil wouldn't have researched any further past how many people downloaded it and how many servers are being run. Sorry if this little tampering with actual events turns people off. But I promise the concept will only get less confusing as time passes. Or possibly more.

I've talked long enough, so with that, the third chapter is a go.

_Disclaimer:I do not own the idea nor the series. Reki Kawahara is the sole owner of the Sword Art Online series. This is a fan made, non profit property using the ideas presented in the light novels and anime. Please support the official release._

* * *

**3 – The World String**

**(Dicey Cafe, May 20th, 2025)  
**

"Come on in. We were about to start."

Agil invited Asuna inside, pointing her to a counter seat reserved right next to me. She pulled her sluggish body over and sat down. She wasn't supposed to be running in her condition. I couldn't help being worried, so I leaned forward in my seat and whispered to her.

"I know I said to hurry, but you didn't have to strain yourself." Asuna simply nodded, still panting when I looked down and noticed the colors of her coat. I couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her despite the situation.

"Seems like you know how to dress the part for these meetings." Pointing out the fact her clothing choice consisted of a familiar white and red color palate. Asuna stopped and glanced down at her coat as a light blush broke out across her cheeks.

"To be honest, I completely forgot I had this coat." Out the corner of my eye, I noticed Klein chuckling slightly and both Silica and Lisbeth with small smiles. Klein seated himself on a stool across the counter from me and Asuna. A one stool gap. Lisbeth and Silica sat together to my right in two of the table chairs. Suguha had been placed directly to the left of them, next to Klein on the other half of the bar. Agil's position is always behind the bar counter, so with that we made a small circle.

"Well then," Agil's voice brought everyone to attention and all heads in the bar turned toward him. "Sorry to ruin everyone's good mood, but I'm afraid it's time to get down to business."

Agil paused as he walked over to the left side of the counter to retrieve his laptop. He placed it in full view of everyone before continuing what he wanted to say.

"I was emailed not too long ago by someone mysterious. This man, or woman, referred to themselves only as Lykos. I checked to see if it was spam or a new joke chain mail, but I'm convinced otherwise. They told me it would be wise to gather everyone here at the bar. They also told me that they spoke with one of us before sending the email to me. Lykos said that the '«Black Swordsman»' would be able to explain more." Agil finished his sentence as everybody turned to me at the mention of my SAO nickname.

It was my turn to speak. "Right! Once school released us, I walked home with Asuna. As soon as I got to my house, I thought of passing the time until we'd meet on Alfheim. When I tried to start my computer, it didn't start correctly. Instead it launched this program Lykos made to take control and talk to me." Nobody had questions, seemingly interested in my story. So I chose to continue.

"Whoever they are, it's obvious 'Lykos' is a skilled hacker and seems to want revenge for something. Lykos said they had involvement within the SAO development and incident. They didn't play SAO, but they had been informed enough to know every important event during it. Even more shocking is the fact they know about what happened in Alfheim. The hacker has profiles on every SAO and ALO survivor. They especially have detailed files of us. Lykos knows everything about every one of us, even Suguha by extension." In reaction, this spread surprise among and small murmurs. Silica started to cover her mouth with both hands in a silent gasp while Agil stood still, eyes closed with a somber expression.

"Lykos is using this to his advantage. He wants us to play a game of his design." Klein started to stir and leaned forward on the stool, eyes closed and rubbing his temples slowly. He started to speak in a hushed tone, almost under his breath.

"A game? What kind of super hacker contacts us just so we can play a game?"

"I don't know," I said. "All I know for sure is he wanted us here at the café so he could explain the 'rules' for everyone." Agil decided to cut in after that.

"Sorry to interrupt Kazuto-san, what you said just now is exactly why we're holding this meeting." Agil went back to the laptop and fished through his email, finding the message Lykos addressed to him directly.

"Hacker told me the email I received is for my eyes only. Even if someone were to access it from anywhere but my computer, it would be invisible. Practically untraceable. Hacker also 'advised' not opening the program sent to me until we gathered together in one place." Agil rotated the laptop half way so the screen faced toward us. He clicked on the application contained within the message and it launched in less than a second. Replacing Agil's screen with the same gray line text prompt used to contact me. Everyone focused their attention on reading the lines as they appeared. Agil cleared his throat and began to read it along with us to clear up any confusion.

_-Hello, Gaming Club. (I like that name!) Hope everyone had a pleasant day, unfortunately it's about to turn sour._

_-If you are viewing this, I assume everyone is present. That said, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lykos._

_-Of course that's not my real name. Where is the fun in giving it away? No, my true identity is something you'll find while fumbling around together._

"I hate this guy already." Lisbeth piped up with a scowl, I couldn't help but smile at how blunt she could be at times. Even in the face of danger, she's laughing it off like nothing.

_-The game we'll play is slightly complex, though incredibly fun. I'm sure you are all aware of the world seed and what it's done for VRMMO's. I'll allow Agil to shed some light._

Agil paused. His focus went from the screen to straight ahead to address us. "I wanted to wait before telling all of you, but the world seed has grown a community over ten million large."

Around the room, sounds of more shock and awe rose up. Lisbeth and Silica's faces frozen in impressed silence. Klein muttered something to himself in what sounded like a hum. Suguha seemed interested, but not enough to seem like she understood why this milestone needed the exaggeration. Asuna shifted, leaning back on the stool. I had to resist the temptation to wrap my arms around her waist from how close she leaned.

Agil picked up from his last thought. "I'm going to be honest, since our SAO celebration, I haven't researched the reach of it within the underground communities. It was only till now Lykos suggested it in his email. When I saw how many people downloaded the mirror since we hit a million…" Agil closed his eyes had stood there, lost in his own thoughts.

Klein drummed his hand against the counter in an attempt to bring Agil back. "Oy, ten million users is impressive, but you don't have to meditate over it!"

Agil collected himself, shaking his head before apologizing for zoning out. A few of us, me included, were busy silencing our laughter.

"Millions of users aren't even half of our problem," Agil said. "Putting it lightly, the world seed…isn't technically a seed anymore."

Suguha spoke up for the first time since we arrived. Raising her hand and asking, "Wait, what did you mean when you said 'it isn't a seed anymore.'"

Agil gave off a sigh before locking eyes with Suguha. "I'm afraid this part might get complicated." He took a short breath and then resumed.

"We should all know by now that when Kazuto brought the world seed to me, we discovered what it truly was. Kayaba, essentially, packaged everything needed mechanically wise to make a VRMMO. Every piece of code that monitors the senses and makes FullDives possible. Underneath that was a central kit filled with every resource from Aincrad. Anything from a tree, to a blade of grass, to bricks and buildings. This allowed everyone to not only launch smaller servers for ALO, they could recreate Aincrad from the ground up. The only reason our New Aincrad exists in our Alfheim server is because of the world seed. But, a week after I had uploaded it, those who used it just weren't satisfied with what they had. Soon the brains of the community rolled in, not 12 hours after the new servers sprouted, they cracked the seed. All this time, the cracked version has been kept a secret within the small programming communities until now."

I interrupted Agil again to make sure I was hearing this correctly. "Wait, did you say the community attempted and broke down Kayaba's original code a long time ago?"

Agil gave me a nod before he answered me. "Broke down is a softer way of putting it. Dissecting and rearranging every little piece is more accurate."

Asuna leaned forward, curious. She asked, "What do you mean 'rearranged' Andrew-san?"

"By rearranged, I mean these people grabbed bits off every object and figured out how to throw them together until they made something else. These guys not only changed objects though. They changed the whole engine around. They made their own environments, their own enemies, quests, systems. Asuna-san, these programmers built entirely new VRMMO's with new skins, stats and mechanics. Brand new worlds."

* * *

Everyone found it difficult to comprehend the idea. Agil and I knew it was a basic building block to making a FullDive experience. We had seen as much from glancing at it before we uploaded the program. What we never knew is that it contained every resource found in SAO. With a little computer knowledge, an NPC merchant from Aincrad could be altered into a modern day store owner. A mob could easily be retextured with the stats changed and become new material. Collections of programmers altering, or even fully converting, an object so it could coincide with their own universe. A normal person or small company can make a different game with their own programmed rule set. The first ever FullDive VRMMO development kit that gave life to a dying industry.

"Apparently our programming friends were quite busy at work as well. When I said the world seed isn't a seed anymore, I meant that. Kazuto noticed something when we analyzed the seed for the first time. Anything made with the seed had the ability for accounts to be transferred between worlds. Every world the programmers make is connected. Nobody calls it the 'World Seed' program anymore. Everyone now refers to it as the 'World String.' New VR worlds appearing everyday, all the universes and characters connected by a single thread."

Klein bolted out of his seat, crying out in a mixture of confusion and wonder. "New worlds? The seed has barely been available for 4 months." Agil wandered over toward the right side of the counter, where he placed a hand on Klein's shoulder.

"I understand the surprise! I certainly didn't expect a giant multiverse made by a million different people." Klein bowed his head and sighed. Muttering something about how programmers were crazy.

Next to me, Asuna squirmed slightly, moving her hand from her side and resting it on her chin. She appeared to be thinking. "So, it's not even legitimate brand name companies with access to Kayaba's code. Smaller names and individuals are making their own projects."

Agil's gaze jumped from Klein to Asuna from across the bar. "Exactly Asuna-san. Individual coders pushed their projects into beta states in just three months. Smaller companies needed only two months."

Lisbeth's voice from behind us broke the conversation. "What does the 'world string' have to do with the hacker?" She said. We got so caught up in discussing what happened to the seed, we forgot about Lykos entirely.

Agil clapped his hand together, giving a determined nod. "Right, let's get back to the matter at hand." He approached his laptop, scrolling the program to where we had left off.

_-The world seed has evolved. An entire community with Kayaba's engine modified the source code just 1 week after its release. In just a few months, the industry had more than ALO and whatever SAO reboot servers some bitter non-players had made for themselves. New games all based off the original engine. Want super powers? Alter the skill system and you can control anything. Participate in an interactive adventure? Someone changed the quest system into an interconnected plotline as I typed this. Horror? The more advanced programmers found a way to make your monitored heart rate affect the game. It really is impressive, until I remember how it came to this. Merely reminding myself of the origins makes me despise its existence. Through this game, you'll find out why._

I reread the part that mentioned the origin of the seed. Lykos has been involved before and during SAO. What happened in the beginning which made him plan this attack on the world seed?

_-Now for the rules, I'll make it brief. I'm probably boring all your short attention spans._

"Yep, definitely hate this guy." Lisbeth said. Agil had a slight chuckle before continuing.

_-Rule #1: You must play the game. None of you can refuse or sit out. Everybody must participate three times at least, or the game is forfeit._

Klein groaned at his seat, catching everyone's attention. "Time to clear some space on my calendar…"

_-Rule #2: You all have at least three lives. Trust me when I say this will not be another death game scenario. Whenever you die in one world, I've made sure the NerveGear will log you out. Even though you're safe in real life, your avatar won't be. Due to the connection across this 'world string', I can make sure I lock your character for the rest of the current challenge. No logging back in until your friends are successful in their mission._

_-Die once, I remove a life from the pool. Die twice, you'll only have one chance left. Die all three times, your avatar data across the worlds will be deleted by me. And the game will be lost. This applies to anybody's data. Kirito, Asuna, even Suguha. Or should I call you 'Leafa,' I'm never quite sure what to call your brother as well. Kirito or Kazuto?_

I shot a glance at Sugu. Her face was that of pure silent rage. One that captured my feelings for Lykos at this moment perfectly.

_-Rule #3: You all need to take part because of one simple fact. These challenges, spread across many worlds, are impossible to solo from the very start. And trust me, they'll only increase in difficulty and severity as you progress. You can all thank the 'Beater' Kirito for this rule. Wouldn't want to make everything too easy for everyone's solo player, right?_

Asuna tensed up at the insults and leaned back to whisper to me. "Kirito, I can't take this hacker seriously. He's incredibly rude and all over the place." I answered her with a whisper of my own.

"Don't worry Asuna. At this point, he's got nothing but words." Asuna must have been satisfied since she had relaxed a bit. I couldn't help feel as if something had been bothering her.

_-Before I go into my next rule, I should apologize. I'm being absent-minded and haven't explained an important detail. Why we are playing my game, and what happens if you lose my game._

_-I said before how much I hate the world seed. The only thing I hate more is thieves who choose to call what they've stolen theirs. Ten million users of the world seed. Over a million different programming sects. Ten million thieves of stolen property. Over a million different factions of criminals._

_-If you lose at any point by not adhering to these rules, the millions of people will die along with the world seed._

Agil had trouble reading that last sentence, the bar stunned into silence. Klein, being the only one to recover, growled at the screen in confusion, "This bastard."

"Agil…please, keep reading." My words managed to push him to continue. We needed to know everything Lykos had planned. If we were to face him, I wanted all of us to be ready.

_-If you are all thoroughly surprised, that means Kirito hasn't warned you like I had hoped he wouldn't._

I felt their eyes, digging into me with their stares. My head stayed focused on the laptop's screen. All I could think of was how I would apologize to my friends. Instead I just sat there and settled for a mental 'I'm sorry.'

_-Now, you're all wondering, 'How is he able to say he could murder all the users of the world seed?' It's quite simple really. Like how Kayaba had the NerveGear helmet microwave transmitters fry the users brain when 'forcibly' logged out, mine does exactly the same. Yet RECTO added their new safe guards within the Amusphere tech. Low frequency microwave transmitters with monitors that track the condition of the body. Any stress on the body outside triggers an emergency override with an automatic log out. What the fools forgot is better hack prevention._

_-When the game is lost, I activate my 'failsafe' program which disables the safe guards and raises the transmitter to its maximum power. Sure, the Amusphere doesn't have enough microwaves to fry the user outright. But give it an hour or so, and you'll have a user affected by concentrated microwave radiation._

The sound of chairs scraping across the floor stalled us. Everyone turned and witnessed Suguha, standing with fists clenched. "We shouldn't have to take this! Let's go to the authorities with this. Everything here is evidence. He can't force us to play his game!" Suguha stormed around tables, about to leave the café, before I stopped her.

"Suguha, wait!" Yelling after her, she stopped cold with her right hand resting on the entrance door.

"Kazuto-san is right Suguha," Agil said. "Rule four talks about alerting the law." Suguha pivoted completely and stared at Agil as he read more.

_-Now. Rule #4 states: If you contact any of the authorities at any point, I will activate the failsafe. My systems are monitoring every major news site at all times. Even if the police are good at keeping scandels and stories covered, it can't be omitted from the media forever. If an alert were to catch wind about a 'planned VRMMO cyber-attack', the game is forfeit._

Suguha's face remained in a state of complete confusion. Her head lowered slightly as she shuffled back to her original seat. The instant she sat down, her body slightly trembled, though she wasn't crying. I felt powerless as I watched, unable to pretend Lykos wasn't threatening all of us. Asuna's eyes met mine and she nodded once, encouraging me. Sliding off my stool, I walked over to Suguha and took the seat next to her. I placed my arm around her shoulders, almost immediately her head rested against my collar. Once I had been sure she was alright, I signaled Agil to finish as he nodded in response.

_-Rule #5: Do not alert any other players to my plans. Honestly, I really thought about not making this rule official. Better safe than sorry, as they say. My override software sent to every Amusphere is disguised as a simple hardware update and test. While the challenges were simply implemented without notice. If you were to make it known among the community that this update is a hack, I'll activate the failsafe. Please make the game easier on yourself and me. I don't want to dig through chat logs to find you've been warning people. Anyone who asks about the challenges, if they happen to cross your path, convince them it's a rare event and nothing more._

_-Follow these rules, but be aware, they could change at any moment!_

Klein sat there steaming, like he would explode on anyone in a second. Lisbeth and Silica were both on the verge of depression. Silica more fearful than anything as Liz slumped in her seat. Asuna sat still, not staring at anything in particular, seemingly lost in thought. Agil, still solemn and serious in manner, looked relieved to almost being done with Lykos's message. Suguha stayed in place, eyes shut and her head on my left shoulder. She wasn't crying, but at least I can say I kept her calm. This message single-handedly brought about nothing but dysfunction between everybody. I shuddered to think what this 'game' would do.

_-Now that you know the rules, the game can start. Complete the challenges I've laid out across eleven worlds of my choice. Each challenge nets you a step closer to solving a cipher. This cipher will lead you to me. A golden opportunity for you to get answers to any of your questions. I am nothing but fair. You have the chance to stop me, just as much as I'm trying to hinder you._

_-With that said, it's time to send you off. Don't expect for me to bluntly point to where you need to go. That would be insulting your combined intelligence. Though I will help your sense of direction. Not only am I a lover of riddles and ciphers, I'm also an avid fan of poetry. Let me share a recent piece of mine._

_Where it ends is where it begins,_

_With a creature of stone and clay standing stalwart,_

_Against all of those who would defile sacred grounds._

_-And the game is on! Best of luck to all of you. Have a wonderful day. I hope to see you all again._

**=LYKOS=**

* * *

With that the program had reached the end, Agil unable to scroll any further.

Nobody had words for anything that just happened. The bar said nothing for nearly a minute, and then Klein asked the question that needed to be asked.

"Are we…are we actually going to give this guy what he wants. We don't really know if this Lykos character has any control. It could be a hacker with our identities, playing a cruel joke." Klein's voice, filled with disbelief, had nearly trailed off two times during his rant.

"Klein," I decided to speak up, something to convince him to at least think about this. "This hacker knows our avatar and real names. Even Suguha's. He's made a program to hijack systems and communicate with people like me directly. This hacker had involvement with SAO before, during and after. He's tracked the progress of the world seed. And with this, he's pieced together a plan to bypass functions on the Amusphere.

"But the industry and government tested Amusphere units for months before it had been declared safe. It doesn't even have microwaves as intense like the NerveGear helmets had." Klein stood in front of me, waiting for me to fire back.

"Still, how much concentrated microwave radiation does it take to disable the brain over time? Amusphere may have reduced the transistors, but with a disabled monitoring system and pushed to its highest setting..." Klein shook his head and crossed his arms.

"I understand that, I'm just not convinced this Lykos guy is completely real." Klein moved aside and started to pace a small area of the bar.

At her stool, Asuna resembled a statue, only her eyes blinked from time to time. I needed to talk with her, whatever was bothering her, I swore I'd help in whatever way I could. Agil, Lisbeth and Silica all appeared distant and nearly withdrawn. Sugu's body relaxed almost as if she was asleep.

"We should try playing his game." All eyes, minus Asuna's, went to me asking to explain myself. "Even if this Lykos isn't truly a threat, what have we got to lose but our own free time? If we start playing, maybe we'll be able to gauge if this hacker is legitimate. I just want everyone to think about the situation before passing it off." The group remained silent with faces of skeptical thought. Giving them time to discuss could help sort their thoughts. With Suguha still resting against my side, I turned my head to check on her. "You alright, Sugu?"

Suguha sat up immediately, her face set in a small frown. "Yeah, I feel a lot better. Thanks."

Patting her on the shoulder twice, I said to her, "Hey, what are brothers for?" She flashed a smile for one moment before I looked toward Asuna again. "You don't mind if I step out for a moment, right?"

Sugu was almost a step ahead, trailing my sight to where I was staring. She gave a small nod of approval and understanding as she told me, "Go ahead."

"Thanks."

I pushed myself up from the chair and walked back over to where Asuna sat.

"Asuna?" The sound of my gentle tone woke her from her statuesque state.

"Oh, Kirito-kun, what's the matter?" She answered in a low almost emotionless tone.

"Can we talk outside, in private?"

Asuna's face softened as her eyes drifted away. "Okay" My question had clearly told her I noticed something wrong. I wanted to help her.

"Guys, me and Asuna are going outside for a minute. Just think about this together and decide if you're willing to support me and play this 'game' of his. Come on, Asuna."

Asuna stood and walked with me to the door, I already heard discussion start as both of us slipped outside.

* * *

While we talked inside, the night had taken over. Everything bathed with moonlight or darkness. The market streets were empty of people thankfully, allowing me and Asuna complete privacy. We stood in front of the Dicey Café, unsure of what came next. The streets were more intimidating as the seconds ticked by. Asuna's footsteps were the only thing audible for possibly miles. She took five steps away from me before standing in place. Arms crossed over her chest, hugging herself.

"Asuna, you're clearly worried about something. Please, tell me." I spoke in the softest tone I could manage. Seeing Asuna this way. wounded and anxious, she knew by now I would give anything to make her happy.

"It's just that…it's…" Asuna's voice grew upset with every word she said. Almost as if she was close to crying. "It's the fact that…we're never safe."

"Safe?"

Asuna gave me only her back, she didn't seem comfortable and was always fidgeting.

"Kirito-kun. We only just got through Alfheim. And I can never forget anything that happened in Aincrad. But now, someone wants us to play something else. Worse, he's hiding behind millions of people for something that happened long ago." Asuna paused for a second, letting off what I thought sounded like a small sob. I took one step closer to her, trying to close the distance between me and her.

"Kirito-kun?"

"Yes?"

Asuna turned to me, frowning from sadness and a hint of anger. Tear drops not yet formed at the corner of her eyes. "Why do we have to fight?"

"Fight?"

Asuna seemed to be slightly angrier at this question and lashed out. "Why does everyone we come across have to fight us? It's barely been half a year since I've finally been able to be here with you. Why can't we be left in peace? All I want to do is stay here and be happy with you, Kirito-kun. But there are always enemies around every corner tearing us apart! Why won't they just let us be together?"

The string of questions cut deep. Asuna stood there with her arms at her side. Angry and on the verge of tears, another quick sob went through her. Stress of another enemy in our life was tearing her apart. Two more steps closed even more distance, closer to being able to comfort her.

"I'm not exactly sure why. But until everything related to SAO is put away, we have to stay strong-"

"That's just it!" Asunas had interrupted me, head forward and locking with my eyes. Her glare was almost sharp enough to kill. "I'm trying to stay strong, for everyone, especially for you Kirito. I've held all this in because…because I'm scared and confused."

Her tone started to waver back into a much lower and calm tone, but her feelings remained clear. "We've made it through two games already. I just want to rest, and then this hacker comes along and threatens us. I've just grown tired of fighting all the time. I'm scared that one day my best won't be enough. That someone will get hurt. Liz, Silica, or even…you. I just can't stand the pressure." Asuna's voice broke on her last few words.

Quickly, I took two more steps forward and bridged the gap. My arms surrounded Asuna and held her tightly against my body. They had their desired effect of catching Asuna off-guard, making her forget how she was just about to break into tears. Whispering small nothings into her hair, we rocked gently from side to side. Her tense body went loose, easing into the hold. Eventually she became silent. The only sounds we heard were distant noises of the night. When I was sure she had become composed enough, I tried talking to her.

"Asuna, do you remember the promises we made to each other back in Aincrad, and the promise I made to you when I found you at the World Tree?" Asuna stirred in my arms, finding a position in which she could stare into my eyes.

"I think I can…"

My hand went to caress her cheek, thumb gliding across the pale red skin. "Back in Aincrad, before I had my first duel with Heathcliff, you promised to protect me. Then after that when you had saved me from Kuradeel, and I also saved you from him. I told you my life belonged to you, that I would use it for you." Asuna's eyes flooded with a new light, as if my explanation sparked her memories. "Even though that was just a game and we had been under constant stress, I meant what I said. Just as you meant what you said after that near death experience with Gleam Eyes."

"I did, I meant every word I said." Her expression told me she had nearly forgot about the terror from a few minutes ago. I decided to add this to be totally sure she was convinced that I would never allow this to happen.

"Back at the World Tree, in Alfheim, I told you I'm not the hero I appear to be. That I have no powers or strength in real life. But I promised, one day, I would give it my best to be the hero you need. I'm willing to give it my all to protect you. And you, Asuna, are just as amazing as me. If there's anyone who could protect me, protect everyone, it's you. No matter what we go against or whatever blocks our path." Asuna's eyes shimmered and tears started to form. This time I knew they weren't tears of anger, but joy.

"Kirito-kun, you really believe this?" My hand went from caressing her cheek to the small of her back. Holding her close to me again.

"Yes, I know you are more than capable. Even if you feel like you aren't, I promise I'll stand by your side when it does happen. We can face any new challenge…together."

That was when I pulled her toward me, my lips clashed against hers in a kiss. She responded immediately, her own lips pressed slightly tighter on mine. It was exhilarating how much of an effect Asuna still had on me over all this time. Our closeness lasted for a small while longer. That had been exactly what she needed. When we pulled away, I noticed an entirely different Asuna. Determined and confident, almost as if she reverted back to her personality as the vice commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath.

"Kirito, thank you for this. I feel better now. If there's anybody that can face this hacker, it's everyone here tonight."

"No problem, Asuna. I-I love you." My face curled up into a dopey smile which Asuna reflected. Leaning in for a quick peck before returning the declaration.

"I love you too, Kirito." Her forehead rested against mine.

In that alley, our embrace lasted for a few more seconds before a thought came to me. The group had been given more than enough time to discuss what Lykos had told us.

"Asuna, we should head back inside and see what the group has decided."

Asuna didn't expect such a sharp subject change and let off a sound of surprise before agreeing. "Ah, right. Let's head back inside now!"

We broke our embrace as I offered my hand to her. She understood what I meant and placed her own. With hands clasped tight and secure, we were ready to face anything. Starting with the decision our friends would make regarding the situation. My other hand pushed the door open, prepared for the one decision that could change the immediate future.

* * *

Asuna and I reentered the bar to the stares of our friends. All of them visibly less shaken from before, with a much more tranquil air about the bar.

"So, what does everybody think of this." Each of them noticed something different between me and Asuna. Holding hands had been a dead giveaway, but they decided to keep quiet about that. Klein sat up, walking forward to stand in between Suguha and Agil, everybody crowded in a semi-circle from the counter.

"We definitely came to a decision," Klein said. "Even if this hacker business turns out to be a complete sham, we're going to help."

"Wait a minute! You really mean this?" His answer managed to amaze both of us. Clearly I had been more excited to be hearing this. Klein gave me a nod, followed by a cocky smile.

"You don't expect me to send our two favorite power clearers all alone against some insane IT guy, do you?" Everybody stood up at this point, their faces beaming, like each had something to say.

"And you'll always need weapons and armor to fight with. I almost feel like that's the only reason you guys visit anymore!" Liz stood there posing with her hands on her hips. Her little quip made both of us giggle. Even if we knew it wasn't true.

"Don't forget about your helpful beast tamer cat!" Silica stood next to Liz, energetic with the brightest smile witnessed by human eyes.

"Weapon appraisal and general goods are also something you guys need. I suppose carrying a giant axe helps too." Agil crossed his arms and shot us both a smirk.

Suguha rose from her chair and smiled at me. "I already promised to help you clear New Aincrad. Where's the sense in leaving my big brother behind, even if it happens to be fake."

All of our friends patiently waited for our response. Asuna squeezed my hand, catching my attention. Her wink said everything that needed to be said without any words exchanged. She was behind me every step of the way.

"Thanks everyone. Hopefully with your help, I can get this guy to stop bothering us." Aincrad had done nothing to break our spirits and Alfheim had just been a small hurdle. This was a group that would fight to the end of the earth, or to the end of multiple earths, with me. Lykos had no idea what he is dealing with. This group is more than capable of playing his 'game' and winning. He underestimated the ability of these VR survivors.

"But." Klein had ruined my moment of inspiration. "That riddle he gave us. About the golem and sacred ground. Where do you think he's pushing us?" Klein's hand reached toward his stubble layered chin as he scratched in thought.

"Alfheim."

"Huh?"

"Alfheim, _'it will begin where it ended'_. We only finally celebrated clearing SAO when I rescued Asuna from Alfheim. In the Land of Fairies is where it ended, so the Land of Fairies is where he wants us to start everything again." There was no doubt about it. Of course, it was incredibly cliché for Lykos to do this, but it would probably help to start in familiar territory.

"Ah, why didn't I think of that? It's the sleep deprivation talking, I swear." Klein mussed his own hair with one hand while he slapped himself with the other. This brought up more laughter among the bar.

"So it's decided? We'll go together on Alfheim tomorrow and look for any area on the map that could be considered 'sacred'. And we'll beat Lykos's challenge before he has time to blink." I said. Agil's bar an hour ago had been filled with terrible news, confusion and sadness. Now replaced by a group of friends motivated to take on everything.

"Alright everyone, hands in the middle!" Silica put her hand in the middle while everyone stared.

"Silica, don't you think we're a bit too serious and old of a group to be-"

I stopped myself after I saw Klein thrust his hand out, resting on top of Silica's. When I faced him, he started to rub the back of his head. "Sorry, I kind of always wanted to do this for real as a kid. I watched way too many superhero movies." He said, sheepishly.

"Why not, I'm in!" Liz rushed forward and slapped her hand down onto the pile.

"Eh, I've missed the café, but I hope my wife won't mind a few VR breaks from time to time." Agil placed his hand in the center as well.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this, but I'm with you guys." Suguha reluctantly added her hand to the pile, slightly embarrassed to be doing something this childish.

"I only see five! We should have seven, or has my counting gone bad too?" Klein teased me and Asuna, being the only ones that haven't offered their hands.

I looked toward Asuna and started to plead with her. "Don't tell me I'm not leaving this café until my hand goes in too."

Asuna gave me a playful smirk telling me what I didn't want to hear. "Come on Kirito-kun, where's your appetite for adventure!" Asuna dragged me over to mass, gently placing her own hand on top.

"I'm really going to regret this…" My other hand joined the collection, resting on the very top of everybody else. I felt incredibly stupid doing this. Then again, another part of me couldn't help but laugh like a mad man. My friends…

"Alright everyone! On three, we give a big cheer for team 'Heroes!' Ready? One, two, three."

"Team Heroes!" With a different attitude and a new frame of mind. This group decided that whatever Lykos would have us face, was nothing compared to what we already went through. The hacker contacted us with the purpose of intimidation. All that managed to do was inspire us to beat his 'game' faster than ever. Despite having files with our identities, he clearly did not know who he was dealing with. Tomorrow, we would make another dive into Alfheim, together.

* * *

**AN:**The gang is assembled! Assembled and ready to kick Lykos's ass! (That is if Lykos's plan is actually real.)

This chapter took forever to write out. Not only having to keep my plotline in order but also accounting for the timeline of events set by the creator himself. Writing the personality of six different characters from the view of the seventh was also rousing good fun when I wasn't crying in the corner. But the bloody damn thing is done. Now for a fourth chapter. _-Internal Screaming-_

Please tell me if you see anything with the story that could be improved or with my writing. I'm always up for criticism. Pushing the delete button on reviews is always good fun. Kidding. **Read & Review.  
**

Until then...

Next Chapter - **Alfheim:**** Beginning of a Journey**

_Disclaimer:I do not own the idea nor the series. Reki Kawahara is the sole owner of the Sword Art Online series. This is a fan made, non profit property using the ideas presented in the light novels and anime. Please support the official release._


	4. 4-Alfheim 1:Beginning of a Journey

**AHHHHHHH! I AM ALIVE!**

**A/N:** But seriously, it's wonderful to actually be back on my account again. Life has been more than eventful for me. Dealing with graduation, managing time with friends, trying to contact recruiters and schedule meetings, trying to get a summer job in a jobless area. Life is one of the reasons why this chapter is more than a week or two late. The other reason is my crippling laziness and lack of motivation. I'd been dedicated to this story for the first two chapters. But finally getting down to write it, typing out chapter 4 didn't feel quite right. It's just this unnerving feeling in the back of my head that the story will not be as great as intended. As if it seemed a much better idea in my head. You know what they say though, a little hard work can get you anywhere. So maybe a bit of work and dedication and I can finally get this titan of a planned out story into readable format!

Apologies, again, for the delay. I originally planned to have this released BEFORE the Season 2 premier came out...WHOOPS! I kept kicking myself over and over, screaming that I should dedicate more time to the story than being lazy or playing Borderlands 2. I have an addiction, I swear. So when I finally tried to get the creative juices flowing again, it turned into me having Microsoft Word open and me juggling through Youtube tabs, not working on the story. Long story made short, more summer time will go into this than useless things. You can't make me stop playing Borderlands though...Borderlands is life!

Bleh, bleh, bleh. Sword Art is great. Season 2. Kirisuna 5ever. Fanfiction stuff. OKAY! Enjoy your feature presentation everybody.

_Disclaimer:I do not own the idea nor the series. Reki Kawahara is the sole owner of the Sword Art Online series. This is a fan made, non profit property using the ideas presented in the light novels and anime. Please support the official release._

* * *

**4 – Alfheim 1: Beginning of a Journey**

Down the abandoned market streets, our footsteps melted into an uneven beat as one. Originally, I meant to walk both Asuna and Sugar home. But, after the meeting, Sugu insisted she'd be fine walking alone. I got the hint. Now the long trek home consisted of me and her. **«Lightning Flash»** and **«Black Swordsman»** together again. Right as we exited the café, my hand found hers almost immediately. The warmth and familiar sensation of her hand felt welcoming even after so long. But when I looked over, Asuna appeared either tired or deep in thought. We haven't even said one word since leaving the café.

I gently squeezed her hand once to get her attention. "Asuna, are you alright?"

Asuna responded without breaking her look of idle concentration. "I'm fine, Kirito-kun."

"Well, we haven't said anything for the past few minutes. And you seem to have something on your mind." Her face didn't change, only her gaze that remained fixed on the road.

"I'm just thinking, about before the meeting, what we planned to do on Alfheim."

"You mean visiting Yui?" With all the chaos Lykos dropped on us, I nearly forgot our promise to visit Yui today.

"Yeah. This feeling that we let her down, I just can't get away from it." Asuna stopped in place as I followed a step after.

"Asuna?" We were still connected by hand, though I noticed her grip wasn't as strong.

"I can't help but worry. Not only did we let Yui down, how are we going to explain this to her?" She wasn't upset. She only stood there with eyes closed. The idea had not shaken just her. I began to worry along with her.

"Asuna. Even if we broke our promise with Yui, we just have to find a way to make it right. This 'Lykos' business will be over before we know it. Our little family had nothing to fear before and it won't after." With my off-hand, I grasped Asuna's free one and held them tightly. Her head rose and our eyes met.

"Maybe we will find a way. Yui is usually quick to forgive." She giggled lightly from her comment before her voice tinged with worry again. "It's just after…'him', I don't want Yui to think our life is just fighting to save each other all the time."

I knew what she referred to when she said 'him'. Yui had been, thankfully, absent during the entire event. Though she gathered a long time ago that **«King Oberon»** was simply a mask, hiding a heartless man with no regard for human life..

"Yui would never think like that. She's quick to jump to conclusions, but there's one more thing we know about her. She's always believed in us. Every time we faced an enemy, she knew we fought for each other. She believes in the family as much as we do. We have to show her that Lykos isn't an actual problem. Then we can return to living in peace."

Asuna's chestnut eyes showed understanding and gained that certain fire to them again. "If we can find a way to make it up to her, it will be tomorrow."

"That's the spirit!" My right hand shot up to pat her on the head. Asuna started to laugh and shook my hand off, choosing to grab and drag me off by my other hand. Stumbling and laughing, we walked the rest of the way to Asuna's house like the happiest pair of idiots ever.

* * *

Kirito and I shared one final kiss before I made a dash for my door. Not having his presence around made me feel as if something was missing every time. Reaching the door, my mind blanked and started to remember how much trouble being out this late could get me.

_'My parents! I never told them! It must be past nine at least!'_

My breakdown lasted for a few seconds before I took deep breaths and calmed myself. What I needed to do required the utmost amount of concentration. I have to sneak past my parents. Quick and quiet. Steeling my nerves and taking one last deep breath, I pushed against the door gently. As it revolved outward I locked and squared my feet. Taking one slow step forward after another.

The foyer of the house was rather long, leading to two split areas and to the right a spiral staircase, the 'mission' objective. It was elegantly decorated, pearl white tile floor with paintings lining the wall and two cabinets with statues flanking the door. Ahead lied the living room and beyond that the kitchen. To the left, our formal dining room usually reserved for dinner with guests or special occasions. I heard from the living room the sound of the TV. They were watching the news, probably waiting to punish me for curfew. All I had to do sneak to the right and I'd be able to get to my room. But the temptation became too much and I couldn't help unconsciously creep across the foyer.

Pressing against a section of the wall I began sliding closer to the edge, anxious to find my parents waiting for me. My upper body titled forward, the crown of my head passed the lip followed by my eyes. The glow of the TV had been the only thing illuminating the room. The outline of my father's head clashed against the block shadow of the couch. His head remained motionless which got me needlessly curious. Rounding the corner, I deftly approached his back. Any sound now would get me caught for sure. Crouched behind one of his sides, I leaned over as carefully as I could to find him…asleep.

The light from the TV highlighted his shut eyes and mouth slightly open. Whatever sounds came from the TV masked his faint snoring extremely well. He must have recently come home from one of his mandatory 'retired business meetings' with his briefcase cracked open and paperwork spread along the cushions. I almost broke into laughter right there until it hit me. I forgot my mother had to be home as well.

Scrambling behind one of the couches arm, I huddled against it and stared into the doorway leading to the kitchen. With only one light on in the kitchen, I barely made out the shape of my mother, her head down. Coming out from my hiding place and creeping into the kitchen I realized my parents were one in the same. My mother's head lying on her arms with paperwork scattered everywhere on the kitchen table. Overworked and sleepy. With a big smile on my face I retraced my steps carefully back to the stairs. As I started to climb I couldn't help thinking how lucky I'd been.

_'Sweet dreams, Mother, Father.'_

* * *

Walking to my room, I noticed my room looked exactly how I left it. Lights off and leading into a dark room with the door left slightly open.

'If they haven't checked, I can say I went to bed early. Perfect!'

Slipping between the door space, I started to take my coat off and stare at it. The white and red color design of it seemed way too similar and weird.

_'Of course, out of all the coats I own, my hands grabbed this.'_

Hanging my coat in the closet left me in my comfortable blue sweater and orange skirt. After everything that happened today, it left me exhausted. Snapping my focus toward my bed, what I saw made me debate going straight to sleep. The NerveGear helmet had been exactly where it had been this afternoon, resting on the bed and still plugged in. Thoughts of Yui-chan raced around against thoughts of sleep.

_'Will Yui-chan still be awake? What if she is? Would she be angry? What can I do for her at this time anyway?'_

My mind shifted back and forth between helping Yui or helping myself to sleep. I cleared my head and made the choice. Yui-chan always came first regardless.

Heading straight to my bed, I dove for my NerveGear helmet. Surprisingly, after the stress of the SAO incident and events of ALO, my parents had been worn down to the point where they gave in to most of my requests. I had been allowed to keep it as a memento of sorts. But I honestly wouldn't be shocked to find that SAO survivors like Kirito and I still used theirs even after the mandated destruction of the helmets by law. My parents this whole time understood only bits and pieces of what truly happened in both Aincrad and Alfheim. All my parents knew is that Sugou had masterminded the plan which Kirito had a hand in stopping. That and bits of my imprisonment and rescue. That was all they needed, and what I wanted them to know.

Placing the NerveGear on my head, the familiar feeling of it sliding and fitting around my head followed. Switching it on, multiple lights crowded the display at once. The helmet display was never designed to blind the user, but stalking through the dark for half an hour didn't help. My eyes slowly adjusted to the bright lights until I could see again. In the bottom right of the visor display it showed the current time. 10:23. If I was lucky, or unlucky, maybe Yui had stayed up. Even if she didn't need it, Yui found it comforting to set a sleep period for herself. The one overnight session of Alfheim we did have I remember tucking her in around 10:30. I had to see for myself.

The only other two items on display showed the helmet's battery power and the program currently loaded. Alfheim Online. I said the activation phrase my NerveGear needed to take me there.

"Link start."

* * *

The feeling of a FullDive always felt weird. Like my brain was being used in a game of catch down a hallway. It didn't take long to go through the login process until my eyes opened to streetlight covered roads.** «Yggdrasil City»**. The Land of Fairies.

At this time, the streets of Yggdrasil were mostly empty. A few players passed by me, already preoccupied with their own business. Looking down made me realize my undine avatar logged in on a bench in a park somewhere near the town center. After the three hundred players, and me, were released from Alfheim the news of the world tree questline being an unbeatable fake surfaced. Inside the tree had been stripped of enemies and traps. The tower I had been caged in for so long left a hollow tree. Eventually, groups of players got curious about what would be done with the empty space. The Ymir company programmers decided to place a new sparkling city atop the barren little tree. It just became player opinion that this city would be labeled the new capital city.

And what a capital city it became. Any new player that leaves their home city to pass through here could tell. The amount of player and NPC run stalls, shops, inns and other services were amazing. Enough to make heads spin. The way Yggdrasil is illuminated at night, here in the very center of the world, attracts all players. Like a torch cutting through the dark, leading everyone with the promise of safety.

My thoughts came back to me after a bit, remembering why I came here in the first place. Logging in one of Yggdrasil's parks left me comfortably close to our rented home. An inn room with cozy lodging and prices that we knew would hold us. At least until we fought our way to the 22nd floor of New Aincrad. Where our real home stood waiting. But, the inn would be enough for now. Sitting up slowly and taking a moment to get reacquainted with my virtual body, I set off for the inn. Turning street corners and cutting through alleyway shortcuts, I found myself in front of ** «Sanctuary Inn»** in less than ten minutes. Home, for now.

* * *

The inn's door creaked for almost no reason. Stealth in real life meant keeping footsteps light and being out of sight. Stealth in-game uses algorithms and calculations for everything you do. Which basically means a low stealth skill like mine never succeeds, every single thing makes a noise no matter what. When the door opened wide enough, I decided to peek in. Out of the two beds in the moonlit room, one had someone lying in it. It wasn't hard to figure out who.

Opening the door I walked past the closest bed to the second one with Yui's sleeping figure. I sat down on the edge of her bed and started watching her. Even if she is a program, she'd often do this when we were on long enough or slept overnight. Her body went into a 'sleep mode', turning off unnecessary processes and appearing asleep. She usually does this on a set time from eight to ten hours. During that time Yui becomes harder to wake than a normal human. Sound? If it's loud enough. Heavy motion? Shaking her awake can instantly force Water? Maybe. But if Kirito, or anyone, were to try that they wouldn't have hands to hold a bucket of water anymore.

The thought made me giggle before I went back to watching over Yui. She always seemed so peaceful this way. Her eyes gently shut, relaxed with her mouth slightly open. Peaceful and naïve, like any other child would be. Even after we found the truth in that first floor dungeon in Aincrad, I never thought of her as an A.I. She had always been so small and filled with joy. Childlike wonder that never stopped. So much like a normal little girl. Our little girl.

Stray hair fell in front of her forehead. My hand followed, carefully pushing it back into place. She barely stirred. Always so peaceful. My little angel. Yui distracted me so well that when the guilt caught up my hand froze and pulled away from her. It stayed there, suspended in the air while my regret returned.

'I'm so sorry Yui, I broke our promise.' Remembering that made me feel terrible. The smile I had from watching Yui turned into a frown. Letting Yui down like this is a feeling I never wanted to experience again. A wrenching feeling which made me feel worse about disappointing her. From that feeling, a small thought forced itself to the front. Words began to echo through my mind.

_'We'll find a way to make this up to her.'_

Those words halted that building emotion from bringing me to tears. I couldn't wake her up no. I didn't know how to face her so soon. Though an idea of how to begin apologizing gave me a place to start. Standing up, my eyes darted to the window outside. Even though it was eleven, in Alfheim time almost never synchronizes with real life, outside it must have been five from the small sunlight over the horizon. Hopefully this gave me enough time.

My eyes wandered over to the other side of the room. A few cabinets and a stove set against the wall. A feature of renting one of the biggest rooms at the inn. Now I'm glad we have it. I'll be using it.

Picking up my feet, I bolted for the door. In the hallway, I turned back to take one last look at Yui still asleep. Then I shut the door and started down the hallway. Rushing through the ground floor of the inn and nearly taking the front door off. Out in the middle of the street, my brain turned auto pilot on as I sped off, rounding street corners to Yggdrasil's marketplace.

Thanks to my AGI stat, speeding through the streets took no time at all. The fact that I knew exactly where to go helped as well. There I stood in front of the bustling marketplace. A huge part of the city that starts at a fountain circle full of stands, leading into a street with side-by-side storefronts and even more stands. Most are player owned, but the NPC run businesses are still left here and there. Setting off again, I ran straight past several stores before skidding on my heels to a stop in front of an NPC grocer stand. Though player owned grocery stands are better and more common, most would be closed at this time anyway.

Approaching the stand, I remembered the only downside of an NPC grocer is the fact the system forces shops to sell lower quality items. With the money I had left buying the better quality stock would be no problem for me. Already, the recipes and ingredients formed a list in my head.

_'I know exactly what to make for you, Yui-chan!'_

* * *

With a nearly full inventory, I sneaked back into our room with Yui still fast asleep. Heading over to the small kitchen area, I stopped in front of the countertop. The countertop being the perfect area to work on Yui's surprise. Swiping the air and opening the menu system, my fingers found the Inventory tab, summoning two bags filled to the brim with food. I started to unpack the bags with all the ingredients I needed. Unfortunately the quality rating of ingredients available from the NPC grocer came to three out of five stars. Which didn't worry me at all. Yui-chan wouldn't mind what the system considered 'average' if it had been homemade. With my mastered cooking skill, maybe I could convince the system to give me a 4-star quality dish.

Laid out in front of me is a collection of vegetables, meats, and essentials. Bread, lettuce, tomato, onion, chicken, ham. Of course, I didn't forget about what I needed for my secret spicy sauce. No matter how many times Kirito made up for it, I'd never forgive him for getting Yui into spicy foods.

From my inventory I pulled a kitchen knife. It was funny to hear how some desperate people used their swords back in Aincrad to cut up food. These knives existed for a reason. Though cooking in VR games wasn't that challenging at all. A single tap and the system mapped it out for you. Everything nice and ready to make one sandwich. Once all the ingredients had been shuffled together the sandwich went into the oven. Twenty seconds later and Yui would have a toasted homemade sandwich by me.

During those twenty seconds, the oven gave off the scent of it baking. The system did it's best to replicate the smell of bread being toasted. The system did a good job, it smelled delicious. I got so lost in it, until I thought about Yui. Can she smell it too? What if that wakes her up?

I spun around in fear that she did. Her body lying in bed like before, quiet and still. My smile came back and I kicked myself. Full sleep mode means full sleep mode, Asuna you dummy!

Going back to the oven, I opened the door. Sliding the sandwich out onto a plate, it had been toasted to perfection. Examining my work, I read the text box that told me just how well I did.

_._._._._._._._._._.

** Toasted Sandwich**

+Warm: +20% HP

_._._._._._._._._._.

The game gave me my four stars after all. Allowing myself a small moment of pride, I almost forgot that I still needed to add something else. Inside one of the cabinets I left a small glass filled with an orange-red sauce. My own spicy recipe. Thankfully, Aincrad and Alfheim sharing the same mechanics meant an almost identical cooking system. So when it came to the recipes and sauces, I may have gotten slightly carried away…

A few splashes of the sauce on the sandwich later and the text box changed.

_._._._._._._._._._.

** Toasted Sandwich**

+Warm: +20% HP

+Spicy

_._._._._._._._._._.

The heat bonus from the dish didn't matter since Yui had no need for HP. But a warm meal is always better than a cold one. The final touch, wrapping paper. Players usually buy this so heat bonuses stayed over long journeys. I figured a warm sandwich could be a nice surprise for when she wakes up.

Combining the wrapping paper and sandwich left me with a wrapped plate. Perfectly saved for when Yui would wake soon. I placed it on the table, taking another look at Yui. The sandwich was done, but it needed something. I had an idea. Searching the room, I found note paper and something to write with. When I was done, I propped the message against the dish.

Walking to Yui's bedside, I made sure she was fine one more time before leaving. Leaning over, I softly kissed Yui on the forehead. She stirred slightly before relaxing. Quietly, I snuck back over to the door.

"Sweet dreams, Yui-chan." With that, I shut the door. Eager for the adventure to come for the first time since the café meeting.

* * *

**(Real Life, May 21****st****, 2025)**

Kazuto awoke to the feeling of heat on his face, His eyes blinked open to the rays of sunlight that streamed into the room.

_'I need blinds, heavy black ones.'_

He rolled his body over to the left, burying his face into his pillow. Plans of getting back to sleep suddenly interrupted by a wave of memories from last night. Tonight, they promised to dive into Alfheim to test Lykos's game.

Throwing the covers off, he groaned as he pushed himself upright. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Kazuto thought it was too early. Today and tomorrow would be the only two days he would wake up at seven. If they finished Alfheim by then, Sunday gave him plenty of sleep-in time. The aroma of breakfast drifted into the room and gave him a reason to start the day.

"Must…get food."

Kazuto pushed himself up and stood on shaking legs still asleep. He stayed standing for exactly three seconds before he felt his legs become jelly, falling backwards onto the bed again. With eyes shut and letting out a long groan, Kazuto knew today would be a long one.

* * *

The lunch bell signaled the end of class. Asuna being the closest to the door gathered her things and waited outside the room. Kazuto waded through crowds of students and followed her out of the room, settling in by her side as they walked down the hallway.

"These classes never seem to end." Kazuto muttered.

"I can tell. You almost fell asleep on your desk a few times. Did you get any sleep last night?" Kazuto noticed Asuna seemed less energetic than usual, but he decided to answer her question.

"A little, but I feel I should be asking you that."

Asuna thought about whether to tell him about last night. She answered with a cryptic, "Long night, like yours…"

Kazuto gave her a heavy stare with tired eyes. "I'm fine with sleepless nights. I'm used to them from late night gaming sessions. But when you aren't sleeping right, you know I worry." Kazuto's face softened. Asuna felt slightly guilty about this.

"I'm sorry. Last night was just so hectic and tiring." Asuna's stared at her feet in embarrassment. Kazuto decided to stop scolding her over something she couldn't control. Changing the topic to something pleasant. "At least we have lunch."

Asuna almost stopped completely. "Right…about that…" Yui already eat hers by now. She hoped it was good, because making her sandwich left no time to prepare their lunch in the morning.

"We do have lunch…don't we?" Kazuto stopped dead in the middle of the hallway.

Asuna nervously shifted back and forth."Well…"

Kazuto dropped his bag and latched onto Asuna's shoulders. Somewhere between upset and crushed, he shook her hard enough to make her almost lose balance.

"Asuna, why? Tell me it isn't so. Tell me I won't have to go a day without your heavenly cooking!" Her eyebrows twitched slightly at his over-reaction. Anybody left in the hallway stopped to watch and laugh at the couple.

"Kirito-kun, people are staring, come on." Asuna awkward broke away from his death grip and dragged him down the hallway by his right hand. An annoyed frown and blush on her face.

Ignoring the hallway that led to their usual spot outside, marching toward the cafeteria instead.

"We're not even going to our spot. The turn was back there!" The effort of dragging Kazuto left her tired and his whining didn't help.

Asuna scolded, "Well, since I don't have our lunch today, we'll just have to try our luck in here." She pushed through the cafeteria doors while Kazuto stumbled in after.

* * *

The cafeteria is never quite full during breaks. Most students choose to eat somewhere else or use it to talk with friends. So when Asuna and Kazuto walked in the room, the cafeteria wasn't exactly bustling with activity.

"Hey!" A loud shout from across the room caught their attention. It wasn't hard finding anybody through the small crowds of students. Rika waved them down as Keiko ate her lunch in the seat to her right.

"She yells louder than Gleam Eyes roars." Asuna smiled at the quip and lightly punched him in the arm. Rika wouldn't give up in trying to get their attention, so they were obligated to sit with her this break.

Walking up, Rika slammed her hands on the table, leaning forward with a grin. "Well, well. Mr. Kirigaya and Ms. Yuuki in the flesh. How nice of you to join us this evening." Kazuto and Asuna claimed the last two seats at the four seating table while Keiko shook her head at her friend's teasing.

"It's not like we left you completely. We have a few lunch spots we like. And Kazuto and I bring lunch…which I happened to forget bringing today." Asuna coughed that last part out and looked away quickly.

"Oh ho ho! Our love birds lost their nest and their food!" Rika's smile grew as she leaned over the table, getting dangerously close to their faces. She settled back down and dropped the jeering act. "It's fine. You've become a fan favorite among some of the students. They started placing bets on thing like when you would eventually buy lunch in here or what cute little things you guys would do together. Maybe hold hands, a quick peck on the cheek, that sort of thing."

An eyebrow shot up on Kazuto's face. "People are betting on us?"

Rika allowed herself a drink of water before answering. "Like I said, fan favorite. Considering one of your spots is right outside the window, it got hard not to look out and see you guys acting lovey-dovey." Kazuto attempted to remain calm at this creepy development while Asuna blushed furiously and sank down into her seat. Trying to hide her eyes behind her hair. She forgot about the cafeteria window view she reminded Kazuto about constantly.

Keiko stopped eating when she noticed how flustered Asuna became from the news. "Don't worry so much Asuna-sempai! Nobody really minds you two. A lot of people think you two look cute together. Including me!" Keiko beamed, hoping it would be enough to convince Asuna. But the red-faced girl groaned over how stupid she had been.

Kazuto glanced at his distressed girlfriend, deciding to change topic for Asuna's sake. "So, we're still on for tonight?"

This got the girls attention. Keiko spoke first. "Of course. We're here to help!"

Rika finished what she was eating before saying, "Why wouldn't we. I mean, after SAO and Alfheim, I'm not really interested in starting any new games. But since we're starting with Alfheim and it's for you guys, I can make an exception."

"Since it's us?"

Her flat look yelled 'Duh!' at him before she even spoke. "Well, we can't let the two of the top idols of Aincrad charge in and almost get themselves killed like every time before."

Kazuto stared at Rika, slightly worried about this new determination of hers. "But…"

"No 'Buts!' No soloing this time. You need us." She sat straight with a smug smile aimed at Kazuto. "Go ahead, Asuna. Tell him how lost he is without us. Lay down the law."

The poor girl mentioned had her head on the table with her face buried in her arms. She didn't respond to Rika so much as she grumbled something to herself.

"I'll take that as a victory!" After a few celebratory bites of her own lunch, she noticed Kazuto and Asuna had no food. "You guys are gonna starve, it's lunch, buy something." Kazuto groaned and Asuna kept her head down.

"I don't bring my money to school." When he said this, the brunette shook her head at him while Keiko stayed quiet and focused on finishing her own lunch. That's when Rika had an idea."

"Tell ya' what. Keiko-chan usually buys something small for lunch, but I usually buy a good amount of food. I'm not feeling very hungry today, so…I guess I'll allow you to split something." Sliding a meat dish over to him, Kazuto reached out to claim it. Until his hand had been slapped away by Rika's free one.

"If…" Rika began, "You and Asuna promise not to do anything stupid tonight. We're a team. We should at least be doing something stupid together." Both girls stared hard at the couple and waited for their answer.

"Do we really-" The chair legs scraped across the floor, Rika stood threatening to throw her lunch away.

"No, no, no!" Kazuto put his hands up in an effort to keep Rika attention before he took a deep breath and said, "I will."

The girls turned to Asuna who picked her head up, giving an exasperated sigh before caving. "We will."

Rika and Keiko's glares turned to smiles. They closed their eyes and nodded in approval. Sending the dish back toward them. His hand hesitantly accepted it. The two ate their food in shame. Their friends looked at each other and exchanged a silent victory celebration.

* * *

Classes ended for the day as Kazuto met Asuna at the entrance to walk her home. Though today had been silent compared to every other day. Anxiety slowly ate at them. As the afternoon rolled around, the thought of Lykos's challenge occupied their head. Every time they wanted to start a conversation, their fear killed it. They stopped just shy of Asuna's house and stood there for a few minutes. Kazuto finally convinced himself to break the silence.

"Do you…do you think Yui will be mad with us?"

Asuna got caught off guard, not exactly expecting him to ask a question like that. Swallowing once, she forced out the only word that came to her.

"D-depends."

Her response made him curious. "Depends? What do you mean?"

Asuna realized the implications behind that and scrambled for an answer. "I meant…it depended on h-how we m-make it up to her. We promised."

He couldn't help but notice how shaken she seemed. It sounded like she was hiding something. Instead he attributed it to nerves. Asuna wanted to change the discussion, she still didn't want him to know what she did for Yui. Whether she was saving it as a surprised or because she didn't want him to worry, she had forgot.

"Kirito-kun." Her voice shook slightly but managed to sound calmer than before.

"Hm?" Her hands shifted nervously.

"Are you…scared of tonight?" Kazuto's sympathetic face turned thoughtful as he stared off into space.

"I'm not scared so much as I am nervous. I just thought, after the last time, Alfheim would be it. No more running, no more fighting for our lives. To finally have control of our lives again." His eyes dropped to the ground. "Now we're playing this hacker's stupid game. I can't help but feel I made the wrong decision. That something bad might happen. Every step closer, there's this growing anxiety.

Asuna relaxed further, they felt nearly the same about their situation. "I feel that too. It's just, I hope Lykos's game is nothing. I'd hate to think what could happen to our friends, or Yui, or…you." His hand reached out and took hold of hers firmly. Her eyes went from her hand to the deep onyx of his eyes.

"Tonight." He trailed off before starting again. "We're overthinking this. His game can't be difficult or real. Tonight we'll log onto Alfheim and deal with this. One night is all we need."

Asuna gave him a nod, turned back to look at her home. "I'm going to go. I'll be on to see you soon." She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Before pulling away completely, she whispered, "I know I don't usually do this, but you deserved that one." Their hands broke apart as she sprinted to her front door. She opened it and stepped inside, turned around to wave at her boyfriend once more. Kazuto waved slowly in a confused trance. When her door closed he dropped his arm. Finally, his thoughts caught up and he decided he needed to go home. Breaking into a light sprint, he left the Yuuki residence behind and made his way back home.

* * *

Arriving home, Kazuto stopped to kick his shoes off and drop his bag at the door.

"Suguha!" A few seconds later he heard a call from further in.

"Here!" He walked into the kitchen to find his sister seated at the dining table. A plate half full of salad in front of her. Finishing what she was chewing, she cut off her brother before he could ask.

"Made a quick salad for tonight. Still enough left for probably three plates. Take it or leave it." She went back in for another fork full of salad. He really only had those two choices. Head dropped in disappointment, expecting actual food, he dragged himself past Suguha and spooned some onto a plate. Sitting next to Suguha, he stared at his plate for a few seconds, turning to his sister.

"Itadakimasu?" Suguha nodded once at his flat question, Kazuto turned back to his own plate.

'Well, food is food.' With that, he decided to dig in.

* * *

In minutes he tore through his salad and charged upstairs to his own room. Suguha saw how excited he was when eating, downing his food, then giving her, "See you on Alfheim!" before dashing off.

Kazuto wanted nothing more than to get this hacker's game out of his way. Hopefully the Lykos's situation would all be a cruel joke of someone's imagination. That feeling of anxiousness rose again. But Kazuto had been able to suppress it long enough to cross the room and check his NerveGear was ready.

'Power. Check. Alfheim loaded. Check. Plugged in? Good.' Walking over to his computer, he checked his messaging program and noticed Agil was online. He created a new message to send.

_Sub: ALO Tonight?_

_-Just__ got home. Everything's prepped for tonight. Is everyone else ready? (Sent by 'Kirito' - 4:48 p.m)_

He didn't have to wait long before getting a response back.

_ Re: 'Sub: ALO Tonight?'_

_ -We're about ready. Klein was able to get off work early and wouldn't stop bugging me if that says anything. (Sent by 'Andrew(Agil)' 4:49 p.m)_

Kazuto cracked a smile. That sounded like him.

_Re: 'Sub: ALO Tonight?'_

_ -Alright, I'll see you guys there. Don't take too long. (Sent by 'Kirito' - 4:49 p.m)  
_

Turning the monitor off, he went back to the NerveGear on his bed. Lifting it up and feeling the familiar weight in his hands.

'Lykos, your 'game' better be quick and painless.'

Kazuto raised the helmet above his head, placing the device he wore for almost two and a half years back on. At this point, he felt completely comfortable wearing it. His display showed the synced clock, battery life and in the middle, '**«Alfheim Online» **ready to launch.'

Lying down on the bed, Kazuto made absolutely sure he was in a good position to boot the game before activating the FullDive system.

"Link start!"

* * *

Suguha followed not too far behind her brother, reaching the second floor hallway as Kazuto's bedroom door closed. Continuing ahead to her own bedroom, she slipped in and closed the door.

Letting out a deep breath, she lightly stretched while pacing back and forth. Eventually walking up to her bed, eyeing the Amusphere lying next to the stuffed animals lining her bed. Her hand reached out and picked it up, raising it to eye level.

_'You've come this far with him. Don't want to let him down or let him get in more trouble, do you?'_

Suguha reassured herself, settling back on the bed in the usual position for her gaming sessions. Setting the Amusphere in place she was ready.

_'You've been through worse. Diving into ALO again is nothing. You're worrying about nothing.'_

One more deep breath gave her the courage to activate the startup procedure.

"Link…start!"

* * *

"Narumi, I know how you feel about VR gaming, but that incident is in the past. It's not going to happen again." Andrew responded to his wife who approached him with a question. The argument started when she asked why he decided to close the café early for the night. She knew the reason why before their argument even began.

"Well, I still can't help this apprehension that comes from you still using it. For two years I lost you to that despicable helmet. It may be a nice distraction for you, but there's no changing the past." Narumi crossed her arms and stood her ground.

Narumi had been one of Andrew's regulars from the opening of the bar. The more she came back, the more she learned about him and closer she got. Andrew's friendly attitude usually made the regulars more talkative and friendly themselves. Though the moments he had with Narumi felt different to him, he felt drawn to her. It didn't take long for them to try dating. After a while, the only thing left was to take the last step.

Andrew had a hard time pressing the issue. Narumi is normally a very outgoing and social person, but she can also be very stubborn and determined when mad. Right now, the slender brunette had her best pout on as she stood there. He silently cursed himself for marrying someone who could be cute while mad. Her short wispy ponytail shifting as she did with her dark brown eyes fixed on him.

He eventually found the words to respond with, preparing for the worst. "Honey, these VR games are completely safe now. There are plenty of companies out there making sure of it. The past is in the past." Agil gave his wife a sympathetic expression, trying to calm her fears rather than attack them.

"'Safe' isn't a guarantee. Anything could happen. Once that helmet goes on, it's like walking to your own death sentence."

"I'm not. VR games are safe now. Kayaba Akihiko was the only reason why thousands of others like me were imprisoned. He's gone now and responsible companies are managing the industry. There's absolutely nothing to worry about. I'm here now and I'll stay here." Extending his arm, he rested his hand on her shoulder for comfort.

Sighing softly, Narumi asked one more question. "Just give me one reason why you decided closing the bar for the night is more important than a game."

Agil thought about how to answer. Lykos and the problem they faced was strictly a secret. Narumi didn't need additional stress of running the bar and the fact her husband was now a walking target. Dodging the question could work for now, but if Narumi had more questions, he'd have to come up with convincing excuses.

"I promised a friend. A favor. It sounds stupid, I know. But I can't leave him hanging, this favor is something important to him." He stared at his wife, hoping the answer would be convincing enough.

Narumi shook her head and shrugged. "Honestly, I can't begin to understand why games like these become so important. But we aren't closing the bar down because of it. I'll handle the night shift."

"You sure?" This caught him by surprise while she nodded. "I don't want you to be concerned that I might be a while."

Cracking a wide grin, Narumi replied. "Andrew, honey. I've managed the bar for two years without you. Day and night. If I didn't break then, what's more overtime to me?" Narumi gave him a peck on the cheek and sauntered toward the door leading to the bar front.

"You're the best." Andrew gave her a smile while Narumi turned around halfway through the door. She gave him a quick nod and slipped out, leaving Andrew alone in the store-room with his thoughts. The door to his back led to the household part of the café. He thought about how lucky he was, heading off to get his NerveGear ready for the night.

* * *

Ryoutarou burst through the front door of his house. Kicking off his shoes and leaving his messenger bag at the door.

_'I swear, those slave drivers didn't want me to take off. Miracle they even gave me the damn early out.'_

Klein made a hard right for his kitchen and stormed to the fridge, tearing open the door. Choirs of angels sounded off when he saw what he still had. On the top two shelves were a beer and a few slices of pizza on a plate.

_'Jackpot!'_

Drink in one hand and plate in the other, he stomped straight through the living room and into his bedroom. Next to his computer he placed his leftovers. Klein's bedroom is classified as a safety hazard for many reasons. The floor being a scattered mess of clothes, pens, food crumbs, bottles and video game boxes. Klein forgot what his bedroom floor looked like after a while.

Loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, he let out a long sigh. "Home at last!" Klein brought the beer to his lips, taking great sips of it. Halfway through the bottle, he glanced at the clock on the computer desk next to his bed.

'4:57'

"Hrg-!"

Klein nearly choked and spilled the bottle everywhere. Slamming the drink back down, he checked his computer. Furiously shaking the mouse until the monitor woke. The display lit up, a flashing notification in the taskbar. Clicking on it opened his chat log with one new message available.

_-Kirito is in. Might want to think about jumping on soon._

"Ahh! How did I let the time get away from me? Where's my gear?"

Klein whipped his head around fast enough for his bandana to slap him in the face. He started to tear his room apart in search for it. Eventually finding it underneath a stack of pillows on his bed.

"Found you!"

His smile turned devious as he lunged for the helmet. Clutching the piece of tech in his hands hard enough to break it. He shoved it on and hopped into his bed with a loud creak. The helmet powered up, displaying confirmation that Klein's copy of Alfheim was ready to boot.

"Alright! I'm not too late. Link start!"

* * *

Rika sprinted through the streets in a rush. She would stop for absolutely no one.

"Rika-chan! Please…slow down…you're carrying less than I am."

Except for her friend. Skidding to a halt, she watched the protesting girl who had fallen behind having difficulty matching her speed.

Rika shouted to her friend, "Sorry! But we've got to hurry if we want to get the game and our work done in the same night!"

The girl in question held her noticeably larger bag in both hands as she half sprinted, half stumbled trying to follow the feisty blacksmith. When she caught up, Rika picked her pace up again. Slowing it down slightly to keep her struggling friend in her sights. The two girls made it to Rika's house in great time. Rika flew through the locks and opened the door, stepping inside and immediately kicking her shoes off. Keiko followed suit, making their way to their usual study spot afterschool, Rika's bedroom. Being invited in, she dropped the heavy bag on her friend's bed, letting out a sigh of relief while trying to catch her breath. Inside the bag contained her NerveGear with all the school work from today. This would be the last time Rika planned a simultaneous gaming and study session.

Rika walked past her and took one glance at her clock before speaking up. "Ehhh, Keiko-chan."

The girl let out a few more breaths and shot a sideways glare at her. "What now?"

"I think we may have rushed ourselves too heavily…"

"Hm?" The twin-tailed girl lifted her head and gave the clock a curious look.

'3:58'

"We…we're almost an hour early…"

Rika looked away from her dashed friend, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"Well…I thought we would be late, and I neglected to check the time on the clocks back at school and…you know what? I'll go get us some drinks and we can quickly get started on your work!" Rika made a hasty exit which took the confused girl a couple of seconds to notice.

"Wha-hey! Get back here!" The usually cheery girl stormed after her, ready to get revenge for her friend's excessive need to hurry.

* * *

Sounds of clinking dishes filled the Yuuki residence. Asuna came home to an early dinner. Which doesn't normally sound problematic, until Asuna quickly learned the kind of dinner it would be. Despite stepping down from his position in the company after the ALO scandal, Asuna's father was still heavily involved in RECTO proceedings. It explained his occasional disappearances, like now. Asuna's mother, Kyouko, filled a seat at the dining room table and invited her daughter to sit with her. Since taking the seat opposite to her the dinner had been nothing but eating in silence. Asuna, nearly finished her meal, planned to make a break for her room and log straight onto Alfheim Online. Her mother's sudden interest in conversation ruined that plan.

"I've noticed you and Kirigaya-san seem to accompany each other to school and back every day."

This caught Asuna off-guard, stalling her from her partly finished meal. She said it in a neutral tone, but Asuna thought better. Her family and Kazuto's knew the details of their relationship in-game. While the Kirigaya's had been understanding, her family, more so her mother, held their doubts. In the beginning the joy of finally seeing their daughter awake after close to three years overwhelmed them. Their strict attitudes melted away and both dedicated as much time as possible to visiting her during recovery. One thing they saw day-in and day-out being Kazuto.

Her old parents would have various problems with the boy standing at her bedside. Before SAO, their expectations for Asuna's future were high. Though her father had usually been the more lenient one, her mother set everything Asuna rushed to accomplish. Maintain grades. Do well on exams. Any co-curriculars? Who do you talk to? You sure you have the time to socialize? Life became the cycle of sleep, school, homework, dinner, studying and repeating. Her studies left no time for socializing which worked fine. She wasn't exactly popular at her old school anyway.

When her mother had planned for finding suitors and arranging marriage, the stress became too much. She needed an escape. Sword Art Online had been her ticket. The day her brother announce his business trip, the time she asked to play his copy of SAO would be one unforgettable moment. Those years of being trapped changed her, gave her a voice. A voice she used against her mother as she slowly returned to normal. Any mention of Kazuto meant she had something to say about him.

"Yes, we have. Kir-Kazuto-kun has been helpful and respectful since school resumed." Asuna collected herself on Kazuto's name. She had almost called him Kirito in front of her mother.

"Hmm. I've also noticed your work ethic when it comes to your studies recently." The steel laced gaze didn't feel like a mother simply asking their son or daughter a question, when her mother questioned her it felt like an interrogation or interview.

"I like getting my school work done first. It leaves me with more free time for the night." Her mother looked somewhat satisfied with the answer, allowing Asuna to finish the last parts of her food. Her mother sat half in thought, turning back to Asuna right as she planned to excuse herself.

"Is that why, last night, your room lights were off and your door had been closed?"

Asuna stared in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"Last night. When me and your father came back, most of the lights in the house and hallways were off. Your door was almost closed and the lights were off. We thought you were in bed early, so we tried not to disturb you. Asuna, your school work is important, but try not to overwork yourself. It's not healthy so soon out of the hospital."

"Oh. O-of course." She was right. Her parents thought she was really asleep that night. They didn't notice she was gone at the Dicey Café instead.

"Keep that in mind, please. Stress is a terrible thing. In your condition, you have the potential to get sick." Asuna sat in silence, stunned and proud of what she got away with. Remembering her plans for the night, Asuna rose from her chair.

"May I be excused?" Her mother glanced over and nodded once, dismissing her from the table. Clearing the dining room, Asuna broke into a pace worthy of the nickname **«Flash»**, rushing up the stairs and through her bedroom door. She read the current time off the clock.

'4:49'

_'Kirito-kun is probably on right now!'_

In no time, Asuna grabbed the NerveGear next to her bed and put it on. Scrambling to lay down comfortably in preparation to launch the game. Settling down, she watched the display give her the message that Alfheim was loaded.

"Link start."

* * *

A full dive never lost its novelty. The weightless experience of your mind being accelerated forward at high velocity, like some kind of roller coaster. Your body completely still, yet the feeling of it seems real. It almost feels like the brain becomes completely detached from the body, as weird as it sounds. The whole thing doesn't last long before you're transported to a different world.

Taking a look around, I recognized that my avatar spawned at the base of the World Tree. My eyes traveled upward to the very top where the new capital of Yggdrasil had been built. In the real world it had only been the afternoon. But here in Alfheim, the sun shined magnificently bright, highlighting the city and causing me to cover my eyes. Diverting my eyes from the tree and turning around, I saw the landscapes of forests, rivers and lakes. I'm still thankful to VRMMO's in many ways. You just couldn't experience a view so beautiful in real life.

While I admired the view, I didn't even noticed the sound of someone teleporting in behind me.

"Eek!"

"Huh?" Quickly turning around, all I heard was the shriek. Looking up into the sky, I witnessed a flash of blue. And then…

_Thud._

"Ah, that smarts…who?" Trying to tilt my head up, I got a view of something I shouldn't have.

"Mmm…K-Kirito-kun?" Knowing the position we were in caused me to stutter and mince my words. Asuna was in a daze and trying to recover, unaware of how exactly she fell on me.

"A-A-Asuna! You…you're…y-you s-s-should…" Another player spawn sounded off to our right. Of all the times…

"Hey, anybody else-" That voice was familiar. It belonged to Leafa. Suguha's avatar stood there in shock while a blush creeped across her face. She turned her head to the right and covered her eyes with her free hand, exclaiming in a rush, "If you were going to do such things, find somewhere appropriate!"

"Huh?" Asuna snapped out of her daze and glanced down to see what or who she landed on. She found me cowering in fear with eyes shut and hands to the side, away from her body so as to not give her any ideas.

"Eh…Kiri-to? AHHH!" Her arms shot out, pushing her body up and off mine, stumbling backwards on the ground before stopping and sitting cross-legged on the grass. A huge blush covered her cheeks and a scowl on her lips. "It was an accident. The game logged me in wrong! That's all…" I opened my eyes, she sat there flustered, responding to Leafa's comment. Leafa uncovered her eyes and shook her head in disapproval, expecting a response from me now.

I scrambled to my feet, wiping the dust off my coat. "T-that's what happened. A log-in glitch…"

"Honestly…" Leafa shook her head once more, walking off to the side away from us. Turning back to Asuna, I found her eyes firmly glued to the ground, tightly gripping her crossed knees. Out of all the ways this new adventure could start, _that_ had to happen.

I wanted to go comfort Asuna, but in her current state I wasn't sure if I could approach her without being torn apart. While I stood there trying to arrange a plan, a familiar voice surprised us with a loud, "Hey!"

The voice had been distorted because of the distance, but I still picked up on it. Asuna perked up immediately after hearing the voice and began looking for the source of the voice. Our eyes scanned the area, seeing nothing but the nature set before us. The voice called out again, closer and more recognizable this time. "Mama! Papa!"

Nobody else called us that besides…

"Yui-chan!" Asuna shouted at the horizon. Following her gaze, I found Yui in her pixie form flying straight for us.

"Mama!" Yui crashed into Asuna's cheek, pressing and cuddling against her. With Yui's appearance, Asuna seemed to completely forget about her embarrassment from moments ago.

"Yui, how's my precious little girl today." Yui detached herself from Asuna with a tiny flourish, hovering right before her eyes. She was more energetic and lively today, I wonder why?

"Great! I got to fly around and meet some new players today. Then I went exploring in Aincrad. I found so many amazing things today. I can't wait to show you and Papa." It always seemed amazing how Yui found joy and wonder in Aincrad even after being a part of the system's programming. Always positive. Yui gasped and continued with, "I also really liked your surprise this morning Mama!"

"Eh? Surprise?" When Yui said that, I immediately wondered what surprise she was talking about. We haven't seen her at all yesterday. I didn't have much time for my thoughts, with the sound of more players already logging in behind me.

"Hey there!" With a turn, I saw Lisbeth and Silica with Pina perched on her right shoulder. They must have logged in together, or had frighteningly good timing and synchronization. The arrival of more people attracted Leafa back to the group. The girls greeted Leafa as well. Asuna and Yui were busy catching up, so I let them talk for now. Our conversation stopped when we heard the World Tree's elevator system for Yggdrasil drop a passenger off.

"Sorry. I didn't think I'd be late everyone." Agil stepped out of the elevator which looked like a hamster cage in comparison to his huge build.

"No need to apologize, if anything you're early." I assured him. Agil walked forward and stood next to Lisbeth. Lisbeth decided to get Agil's attention to ask him something.

"You're using the elevator system? What's the point of that thing if people can just fly up now anyway?"

Agil closed his eyes and began explaining himself, "Well, I didn't feel like flying all the way down to the ground. It's not like the elevator system takes more time than flying. It's about the same speed anyway." The way he said it made him appear unusually tired. We didn't think too much of it before hearing another player teleporting in next to us.

"Heyo! What's up guys?" We knew that laid back tone from anywhere. I didn't even need a glimpse of his trademark red bandana to know who it was.

"Klein!" All of us exclaimed at once, adding in our own greetings.

"I'm not…late, am I?" Klein chuckled nervously. The loveable goof had the biggest smile on his face as he scratched the back of his head.

Lisbeth stepped forward, placing her arm on Klein's shoulder. "Of course not. You're right on time." Klein let out a huff. "But…since you were the last one of the party to login, you'll be sharing your potions and items with the rest of the party first." Klein froze on the spot with a strangled sound.

"Ach-come on! Those potions and herbs cost a lot of money at the item vendors. I'll never get the Col back fast enough."

Lisbeth stepped back, taunting Klein in her best sing-song voice. "Well maybe it'll help you remember to come early next time~"

Everybody erupted into laughter at Klein slowly grumbling about money with Lisbeth feigning complete innocence. While the gang was distracted, a menu pop-up grabbed my attention.

_ -New message from '**Lykos**'_

The fact that he had access and use of the messaging system became a hard thought to stomach. He's not even on my friends list and somehow he's sending messages. I quickly closed out the prompt, acting like nothing happened and continued joking around with my friends.

Asuna joined the group with Yui sitting on her left shoulder, swinging her dangling legs. Giving her time to settle down with Yui made a huge difference. She seemed to be in a much livelier mood now.

"Do we have everyone?" Asuna asked.

"Present!" Silica raised her hand while Pina let out a small shriek.

"Here." Lisbeth struck what she thought looked like a cool pose.

Agil smiled and gave us both a nod.

"Here…I guess." Klein grumbled out. Clearly mourning his soon to be depleted inventory.

"Don't forget me." Leafa chimed in. The gang had finally been assembled. Everyone being ready and willing-minus Klein still mourning his items-to face any challenge that lied ahead. Now was the time to arrange the search parties.

Clapping my hands together, I got the attention of everyone before beginning the strategy brief. "Alright. Now that we're all here. We can officially start this game. Now, the riddle he gave us mentioned something about sacred grounds. Does anyone know a location in ALO that's related to that?"

Around the circle, everybody who thought they could remember off the top of their heads kept thinking. Silica and Klein brought the map system up, scanning over it a few times in the hopes they could find something. The group eventually drew a blank, allowing me to continue with the plan.

"I was afraid of this. If there's no player or map data about a **«Sacred Grounds»** location, it must not be discovered yet. We'll have to form search parties. Klein and Agil, you'll be the first party searching the northern quadrants.

Klein shot me a cocky grin while Agil nodded.

"Lisbeth and Silica. You'll be the second party searching in the east and southeast quadrants."

"Okay." Lisbeth said. Silica didn't seem to mind and neither did Pina who let out another happy shriek at the mentioned group.

"Me, Asuna and Leafa will be the third party searching around the western quadrants. Each party should scout their section of the map. Party members should stay in contact at all times and help each other, especially if a situation arises. If anybody finds the location of Lykos's riddle, message a member of the other parties immediately. Everyone okay with the plan?"

The group made a final round of glances before giving me their nods and approval.

"Alright then. Let's not waste any time."

I made my way to an open part of field to summon and unfurl my wings, turning back to the group.

"Let's move out!"

That signaled everyone to split into their parties, summoning their wings and saying their goodbyes as the group separated. Asuna with Yui on her shoulder and Leafa approached me and gave me smiles and nods saying they were ready to explore. The start to a brand new adventure.

* * *

**A/N:** And with that, the game finally begins. Couldn't wait, could you. Sorry for the possibly 30k word start-up. But I just feel like a Sword Art story is incomplete without them interacting in real life along with the game. I just genuine like writing these characters interacting. But I promise, game stuff will come soon. More heartwarming stuff too. (At least, I hope that scene with Asuna making food for Yui could be considered heartwarming.) More story. More action. Whole lot of more.

Also, the first episode of SAO II is a great setup. I can't wait to experience this whole season as it releases, something I've never done with anime before. If you haven't, go see it now.

In the future, I'll definitely try limiting chapter length. 10k words for one chapter is ridiculous for both me and probably you. Other than chapter length, I'm always willing to take critiques on my writing. By all means, R&R to your heart's content. Until then...

Next Chapter - **Alfheim: Scouting**


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